Community reaction to the murder-suicide case

Seth Rogers, 36, the Delongs’ next door neighbour:
“I’m really shocked. We’ve known each other more than 30 years. Richard, Elizabeth, and I have grown up together. I’ve shovelled with them. I’ve thrown snowballs with them. They were just a normal, quiet family. They were a really nice couple. Keith fed the birds behind their house every morning. Wanda liked gardening. Keith was the [kind of] guy who helped out his neighbours.”

Peter Lemonides, 42, who lives across the street from the Delongs:
“Keith and Wanda made an arrangement to go to Mexico on that morning because Wanda’s mother wasn’t doing well. They were supposed to take care of her will and legal documents. I feel so sorry for the mother who lives in Mexico. She is dying right now. She has to find out her daughter has been killed . . . It was a shock to me and a shock to the neighbours. Keith was a good guy.”

Norma Mann, who lived 22 years in the neighbourhood and is now two doors down from the Delongs:

“When I heard Keith stabbed and killed his wife and children, it totally pissed me off. It is so awful. It doesn’t make any sense. If it is because of financial problems as I heard, their relatives or friends could have helped them. He has a daughter and son-in-law who could provide financial support. Wanda also has a sister in Quebec. Why didn’t he ask for help?”

Danielle Mann, Norma Mann’s daughter:

“We haven’t heard any sound in the morning. We haven’t heard any scream or gunshot. It was so quiet. I can’t believe what happened in our neighbourhood.”

April Johnston, an older sister of Elizabeth’s husband:

“I’ve met [Elizabeth’s] mother and dad a few times at the birthday party and wedding . . . Elizabeth was a good person. Their whole family was good people. I don’t understand this. I had a chance to talk to her mother at a birthday. She said they were really struggling for money because she has never worked and both of them got pension . . . This is really happening, just like being in a movie. Everybody can see it on TV.”

About this article

By: Miho Takaya
Posted: Nov 29 2008 10:57 pm
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Filed under: News