Father, two children found slain in Thousand Oaks

A father and his two children were found dead in their Thousand Oaks apartment this evening in what authorities described as a "gruesome" homicide.

The bodies were discovered about 5:45 p.m. when the man's ex-wife arrived to visit the children at the apartment in the 2700 block of White Ridge Place, authorities said.

The father was 52 years old. One of the children, a boy, was 12. His sister was 7, authorities said.

"We have three homicide victims in there," said Det. Eric Buschow of the Ventura County Sheriff's Department. "It's a gruesome scene."

He declined to say how the victims were killed but added that they apparently died within the last 24 hours. The mother had seen the children Tuesday afternoon, Buschow said.

Detectives were still at the scene tonight trying to piece together what happened.

-- Robert J. Lopez

Photo: An investigation continues into the discovery of three bodies inside a ground-floor apartment in Thousand Oaks. Credit: Al Seib / Los Angeles Times

Related:

The Homicide Report: Chronicling L.A. County homicide victims.

Comments

[lilly of the valley]

Why do people kill their young before they kill themselves?
It is so sad. I will never understand the reason..

[Zorine Hall]

How very sad. This is why all the fire trucks were out and the traffic stopped.

[jan quiggins]

I live in this community around the corner from the murders. I am so sorry for the mother and other family members. This is a very quiet community and I can hardly believe something like this has happened here. My regards to the family.

[L. Kurtz]

Okay I understand life is hard and you feel the need to take your own life but why take innocent children with you? I will never be able to understand what kind of person feels the need to kill their own children!

[huh]

How do all you commentors know that the father killed the kids?

"We have three homicide victims in there," said Det. Eric Buschow of the Ventura County Sheriff's Department.

[Learn How to Read!]

It annoys me that people like Lilly of the Valley and L. Kurtz are allowed to RANT their crazy opinions. The article CLEARLY states that this is a HOMICIDE, not a suicide and two murders! I bet you guys are the same people showing up to those health care town meetings, going on and on about death panels.

Anyway I am sorry for the loss of these lives. It is indeed tragic.

[Hayes]

Go see Medea. You'll have a better understanding of how blind with rage people can become. I`m not condoning the act. I am acknowledging the level of sickness people are capable of reaching for what they convince themselves are legitimate reasons. I don`t know if this is the case here, but it looks like it might be. It`s terrible.

[Ruby]

How can a Parent EVER EVER even think about such a thing??? Why are such things sooo common now a days??? I don't get it. A parent, who is responsible for bringing a life to this world, responsible to protect a child, provide for her, who goes through so muchhhHH, is suppose to be selfless, how can they end a life they brought to this world? Do they think they are above GOD to make such decision?? It's news like these that just break my heart. I cry everytime i hear a news like this. So sad. May God give mother strength and patience to get through these trying times. Amin.

[blah]

wait, i am a bit confused, maybe it is because all i have heard of this crime is this brief article, but it is described as homicide, with no mention of possible suicide, so how do we know that a third party did not kill both the father and his children? Though the scenario mentioned below is unfortunately often the case, i feel it is imperative that we not leap to condemn the dead until we have the full story....

[paddyoski]

Ask someone who's been involved in a high-conflict divorce, with alienated children, and you will understand. Of course it's a terribly, terribly wrong solution, but the motivation is obvious. The parent has run out of ideas of how to stop the pain of both him/herself (seems it's almost always the father) and his children. He has one goal - end the pain for everyone. If you haven't experienced the soul-destroying torture of having your children wrenched from you, for no other reason than your ex has superior resources (and happens to be female) then you can't begin to understand. Revenge against the mother is collateral damage.

Again, this guy's solution was horrific, and insanely wrong, but the thousands upon thousands of parents estranged from their kids by a family court system that has no idea how to cope with the drama of divorce understand the very dark place their soul visits when they lose their children. This has nothing to do with evil or anger, and everything to do with despair, hopelessness and depression.

Family court mediation/counseling is a joke. The court needs to be much more aggressive in counseling divorcing parents and mitigating parental alienation. There are perfunctory classes and parents can opt out of face-to-face mediation. Predictably, the children always lose. Always. And in this case - tragically.

[duhhomer]

Where in this story does it say that the father was responsible for the killings of the two children?

What I read is...

"We have three homicide victims in there," said Det. Eric Buschow

[Akademik]

This is the problem in America! People DON'T READ, and they try to make their idea actual fact. No where in the article does it say the man killed his kids then killed himself. If you can't understand and comprehend English, then how can you post anything? Please read the article, take some time to let it digest, then post idiots!

[CA]

This has been happening repeatedly all year long - nearly every time it turns out to be a suicide-homocide. Not unreasonable to think this is the case here. History is an indicator.

[J in Pasadena]

The comments here are a good sample of why juries don't always work. The very ignorant and misinformed individuals here assume the father ("homicide victim") is the culprit. I guess people weave their own beliefs and experiences into others' words, falsely or otherwise. We definitely need to work on our education system -- a LOT!

[Sad Neighbor]

To those questioning the reason behind the belief of the father being the culprit, I heard those words directly from a Sheriff's Deputy. I live in the same building and coming straight from his mouth, "It appears that from first glance, this appears to be a double murder/suicide. The father appears to have taken the lives of his two children before then taking his own life." The autopsies are still taking place.

Bottom line is that 3 people are dead at this time that weren't 3 days ago. Two of these 3 are innocent children. A man took his own life which is in my mind the coward's way out of things, but I don't think anyone will ever understand why this person felt the need to take the lives of two innocent children as well, let alone, his own two children.

It is a very sad time and may all our prayers go to the victims friends and family in this very hard time in their lives.

[Brian]

http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2009/sep/17/thousand-oaks-deaths-were-murder-suicide-police/

[brian]

that kid jason his son was the nicest kid he went to my school he didnt do anything to deserve this

[cris]

paddyoski -

I was equally deeply offended and deeply touched by your comments. You have clearly been on the the bad "side" of a divorce. I have not, so I cannot presume to understand the feelings that you have to where you accept and "understand" the motivation. It is beyond my comprehesion or my ability to undertsand killing the innocents in any situation. I hate to presume, but it should be beyond yours...otherwise you cannot truly have responisibility over your children. No one or thing should ever drive you to kill your children out of spite, no matter how sever. I beg of you to ask the question if they would have a chance at a better life with or without you. You do not know. Either way, you do not, ever, under any circumstances....control that outcome. It is not right. You know it. Don't take your inability to cope and transference of frustariton out on your babies. They deserve not only better, but the best. Anything short of that is weakness beyond comprehension and a true sin against humanity.

You had me with your eloquent way of explaining frustration. You lost me at "understanding." There is nothing that is understandable about what he did, or what you may be capable of...you must not open that door, entertain those thoughts, give them a moment of reality or reason.

It is pure evil...those who would end another's life, even if guilty of the most heinous crime. It is beyond to end that of a child.

[AND PEOPLE STILL BELIEVE WE DONT NEED GOD]

I have no words to describe how I feel and thinking about it all over and over I can see how people are in need of God in their lives. If maybe a smile a hello from someone a how are you from a neighbor could of made this man feel better. But no we live in a place that most just care for themselves and the others dont count Maybe next time you see one of your neighbors smile say a nice hello you might even feel better too think about it how many families struggle and sometimes we pretend not to see or hear anything But today I tell you all parents put yourself in your kids shoes how depressed it is to see the people you lov the most fighting when things can be different .
Remember if YOU WOULD ONLY TEACH YOUR KIDS THAT THERE IS GOD AND THAT HE CARES AND GIVE US FREE CHOICE WE MIGHT NOT END UP WITH ADULT THAT WILL NOT KNOW HOW TO HANDLE TUFF TIMES
THINK ABOUT IT PLEASE D
JESUS IS THE ONLY WAY