The Guardian: Father who killed his son and daughter in Sydney found dead by the police
John Edwards, a financial advisor from Normanhurst, in New South Wales, Australia, has been identified by the police as the one responsible for the deaths of his children, Jack and Jennifer.
The horrific crime was committed on Thursday, July 5, 2018, in Sydney, and police believe that Edwards had previously planned the teenagers' murders.
According to The Guardian, after investigating for a while, Police was able to track down and find Edwards, but he was already dead inside a home in Normanhurst.
The killer's body was discovered approximately five kilometers away from the crime scene, which was located in the north-western suburb of West Pennant Hills.
Pennant Hills shooting: Sydney father who shot dead children 'planned' the attack, police say https://t.co/CMtsnNY64s pic.twitter.com/LguRlS8WEp
— Sydney News (@NewsOfSydney) July 6, 2018
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“A 68-year-old father who shot and killed his two teenage children in Sydney's north-west on Thursday had been involved in a custody battle when, earlier this year, he registered for the two firearms used in the shooting.”
— Senthorun Raj ✨ (@senthorun) July 6, 2018
This is horrific.https://t.co/6pjItMuipB
Aside from the corpse, police officers found two 'powerful' handguns. Both weapons, which he had legally purchased earlier this year, were registered in his name.
inspector Kevin McSweeney, from the NSW Ambulance service, revealed that 15-year-old Jack and 13-year-old Jennifer were found dead at their home by paramedics.
The mother of two children shot dead at their Sydney home by their father has released photos of her son and daughter, as friends, family and the community community mourn the loss.https://t.co/jT4Mz97qkG pic.twitter.com/XP0ccWX7nx
— ABC Sydney (@abcsydney) July 7, 2018
The emergency response team found a gruesome and 'extremely distressing' scene upon entering the house. Moments after the discovery of the bodies, the mother of the children, whose identity is yet to be revealed, arrived at the scene.
Detective Superintendent Brett McFadden, one of the officials in charge of the investigation, sent his condolences to the 36-year-old woman, claiming that he couldn't 'imagine the significant stress and heartache she is going through.'
According to The Guardian, several neighbors described Edwards as a very reclusive, yet standoffish, man, and that he had become 'morose' ever since his wife moved out of the house with their children in 2016.
An unimaginable heartbreak and loss being felt by the mother of two children, murdered by their father in West Pennant Hills. John Edwards shot his young son and daughter in their home while their mum was out, premeditated and planned, according to police. @MyleeHogan #7News pic.twitter.com/zsbBYfAiN0
— 7NEWS Sydney (@7NewsSydney) July 6, 2018
Police confirmed that the family was in the middle of a particularly complex custody dispute and that Jack had been suffering because of it. It was also learned that, in an attempt to win his daughter over, Edwards bought her a border collie named Jade.
The proper authorities will now continue to investigate the case n order to fully understand what happened, but they believe that Edwards might have been planning the murders for a while.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. Other international suicide helplines can be found at befrienders.org.