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ROY — The father of a man who police say shot and killed his two young children and his wife before taking his own life released a statement Friday saying the family may never know why he did what he did.
"We are in as much shock and disbelief as everyone else. We don't understand what happened or why. Unfortunately, we may never know, we may never understand," Larry and Joanne Smith said in a prepared statement.
On Sunday, Father's Day, police say the bodies of Russell Smith, 29, his wife, Shawna Smith, 26, and their two children, 6-year-old Tylee and 2-year-old Blake, were found inside their Roy home at 2106 W. 4750 South.
By all accounts, the family had no prior domestic violence history nor had they ever been seen fighting with each other. Police say they had never been called to their house for anything until Sunday.
"This horrible tragedy has ripped apart and broken the hearts of Shawna's family, innumerable friends and people who care, and our own hearts," Larry Smith wrote.
He and his wife expressed their gratitude to Shawna Smith's family for allowing one funeral to be held for all four family members on Saturday.
We are in as much shock and disbelief as everyone else. We don't understand what happened or why. Unfortunately, we may never know, we may never understand.
–Larry and Joanne Smith
"The forgiveness and graciousness Shawna's family has demonstrated is beyond words," he said.
The Smiths described Russell and Shawna as loving parents. Shawna Smith worked as the assistant director at Busy Bee Playhouse, a preschool/day care close to her home. "She was loved deeply, not only by family and friends, but also by parents, children and staff at the day care where she worked for nine years," the man wrote of his daughter-in-law.
Russell Smith had previously worked for L-3 Communications, a contractor in aerospace systems and a provider of communication and electronic systems. The company on Monday called him a "former employee," leading to speculation that he had recently been laid off.
But his father said he "was looking forward to the new job he had just started."
"We put our trust in God our father and creator to somehow, someway get us, our families and friends through this. God is our hope," Smith stated. "We humbly and gratefully thank everyone for your forgiveness, love, prayers and concern for all involved."
Roy police have not disclosed a possible motive in the case nor any information about the crime scene, including where in the house each body was found. Detectives are done processing Russell and Shawna Smith's house and have released it back to the family. But investigators are still waiting for toxicology tests from the state medical examiner and to conduct more interviews before a final report is released.
