Blood-soaked girl, 5, runs for help after watching dad kill her mom, grandma, aunt & himself in family massacre
In a horrific case of murder-suicide, Christopher Bobby Rowell, 34, shot dead the girl's mom, grandma, aunt and himself at a home in Nassau County, Florida.
4
4
4
Cops said they were alerted to the incident when the young girl showed up at a neighbor's house covered in blood after witnessing the horrendous attack.
The victims were later identified as the child's mom, mother Marissa Leara Rowell, 32, grandma, Sandra Gayle Fogarty, 71, and aunt Alisha Lael Fogarty, 33.
They had all been at the Florida home when Rowell launched his deadly assault at around 8pm on July 24.
Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper told a news conference the child, known as Winter, was in the back of the house when she heard a gunshot.
She walked down the hallway to see what was going on when a woman grabbed her and pushed her into a nearby bathroom.
Winter was then splattered with the woman's blood, who was shot just moments after bravely saving the child.
When authorities arrived, they found one woman's body lying lifeless in a pool of blood between the living and dining room.
A second woman was discovered dead in a bathroom, while a third was found shot in a bedroom.
Rowell was still alive but later died in hospital of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, cops said.
Speaking to First Coast News, Melissa's cousin said the victim had been planning to leave her violent husband and was in the process of buying a house.
At least three dead in horror mass shooting after gunman opens fire at Bangkok market
He added: "I was at work listening to the radio and I had heard the shooter's name and as soon as I heard his name, my heart just skipped, I knew instantly."
A GoFundMe page has since been set up to help with the cost of funeral arrangements and care for the child who - in a matter of minutes - was left orphaned.
Fundraiser Dane Antkowiak said: "This child now faces a future without the warmth and loving support of her family, and we are committed to ensuring she receives the care and love she needs to heal from this traumatic incident."
In a heartbreaking tribute to the three victims, Dane highlighted the trio's devotion to the young girl and the "joy and love" they brought to everyone around them.
He said: "We are heartbroken and devastated to share the tragic news of the loss of a beloved mother,
"Grandmother, and aunt, who were taken from us and our 5-year-old niece Winter far too soon in a senseless act of violence."
The devastating attack comes as a sadistic survivalist who killed an entire family after breaking into their home was found dead after a four-month manhunt.
Chilling TikTok videos of the mass murderer, posted in the weeks following the attack, showed him laughing maniacally at the camera while wearing a creepy clown mask.
Alexander Meisner, a 61-year-old Kazakh national, massacred an entire German family including a teenager and his parents.
Meisner, himself a dad-of-five and grandfather, entered the Schulze family home in the Rhineland village of Weitefeld in the early hours of April 6.
He carried out the evil assault in the dead of night armed with a knife and a gun.
4
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
31 minutes ago
- The Sun
Devoted mum killed by falling tree branch after ‘pushing daughter, 5, out of way' on walk with husband & son is pictured
A HERO mum who was killed in front of her two young children when a tree branch fell on her has been pictured for the first time. Madia Kauser, who was named locally today, is said to have pushed her five-year-old daughter out of the way of the falling branch. 5 Madia was sadly killed while taking her daughter and son for an evening stroll near Witton Country Park in Blackburn, Lancashire on Monday. The little girl was reportedly in a push chair that the brave mother managed to shove out of the way before being crushed by the falling branch. Madia's young daughter thankfully survived unharmed because of her mum's noble actions. Former mayor and local councillor Zamir Khan MBE, an uncle in the family, told the Daily Mail that her body was still with the coroner. He added: "Her little girl told me her mother pushed her out of the way as the branch fell. "The older boy was walking with his father in front and could not believe what happened. "It is very hard for the children. I do not think they will ever walk in that park again." Madia's husband was said to be just a few feet away with the couple's son when the tragedy unfolded. He rushed to offer aid to his wife but nothing could be done to save the woman. She was sadly pronounced dead at the scene after paramedics battled to save her. The remainder of the tree has since been removed by Blackburn with Darwen council, the local authority has also trimmed back nearby tree branches. Tributes have begun to pour in for the hero mother who "would do anything for her children." Social media tributes have described the heroic mum as a "lovely person" with the local Muslim community coming together to remember her. A gathering was held at Blackburn's Madina mosque on Wednesday where condolences were offered for the tragic mum and her family. Family members from across the country travelled to attend the gathering. A local social media group hosted a message for the mum, reading: "Please keep this mother and her young children in your prayers. "May Allah give them Sabrun Jameel. Condolences can be paid to the family at Madina Masjid on Oak St from 11am." The local authority said: "Blackburn with Darwen borough council is deeply saddened to confirm that a member of the public has tragically died following an incident in Witton Park, when a large tree branch fell.' 5 5
Daily Mail
31 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Mystery deepens over death of glamorous bikini designer on board Hamptons yacht with tycoon, 60, as family demand second post-mortem amid drug claims
The mystery has deepened over the death of glamorous bikini designer Martha Nolan-O'Slatarra who died on board a Hamptons yacht with an insurance tycoon last week. The grief-stricken family of the 33-year-old, who have now travelled from Ireland to the U.S. to bring her body home, have demanded a second post-mortem amid claims she died of a suspected drug overdose. Sources say the swimwear brand founder headed to the luxury Montauk Yacht Club on the evening of August 4 to have a meeting with insurance mogul Christopher Durnan, 60. Durnan - a guitar-playing widower linked to several boats named after Grateful Dead songs - is believed to have invested more than $200,000 in the Irish beauty's bikini boutique. But the night ended in horror when the American business man dashed down the dock naked around midnight screaming for help and indicating that Martha had passed out. Bystanders dialed 911 and clambered on board a boat named Ripple to try and perform CPR on the self-made entrepreneur. But she was declared dead at the scene on August 5 by first responders, with sources now telling the Daily Mail that Martha likely succumbed to a suspected drug overdose - of cocaine or other narcotics. U.S. detectives have said an initial post-mortem examination 'did not show evidence of violence and her final cause of death is pending further investigation'. Daily Mail can reveal Nolan-O'Slattara had met insurance mogul Christopher Durnan aboard his boat for a late night business meeting when she suddenly passed out After they arrived at the scene where the fashionista's body was found, a 'preliminary investigation and exam' yielded no conclusions in informing a definitive cause of death, the Irish Independent reported. Now, the family has engaged a top lawyer in the U.S. - whose client list includes Harvey Weinstein and former Trump White House chief strategist Steve Bannon - to discover what happened to the blonde, blue-eyed woman. They have demanded a second post-mortem report, including toxicological, histological and other testing, which will take at least three months to conclude. Their lawyer, criminal defence attorney Arthur Aidala, said the family had met with Suffolk County homicide detectives who were conducting a thorough investigation. 'People are still being questioned,' Mr Aidala said. Martha's body is currently being held by the Suffolk County Medical Examiner's Office. Once the second-opinion autopsy has concluded, it is understood that her body will be embalmed and repatriated to Ireland. Photographs taken the next morning on the ritzy yacht revealed a dusting of mysterious white powder across a seat on the 50ft cabin-cruiser, which has the Grateful Dead's 'Steal Your Face' emblem - a lightning bolt inside a skull - on its stern. The fashion entrepreneur had spoken to her boyfriend - who was out of town when the tragedy unfolded - just hours before she died, assuring him she was going to book an Uber and would be home at around 1 am. It is understood that the blonde, blue-eyed designer and 34-year-old sales exec Nicholas DiRubio had been staying in the Montauk area for the summer. Reached by telephone, DiRubio, a handsome former college football player, broke down before recovering his composure and saying: 'No comment, have a good day.' Durnan, who founded Durnan Group in 1981, specialising in workers' compensation insurance, did not respond to calls and texts from the Daily Mail asking for comment. As of Monday this week, Ripple was no longer moored at Montauk Yacht Club, a 16-acre Star Island resort that boasts slips for 200 boats and hotel-style amenities including a tennis court and two pools. According to local sources, a crew arrived at dawn last Friday to sail it away. A second vessel said to belong to Durnan – a five-engine powerboat named Hell In a Bucket, another nod to the Grateful Dead – departed the club the previous night, the source added. The dad-of-two is believed to split his time between a five-bed, $6million mansion in Long Beach, New York, and an equally plush residence in Lantana, near Palm Beach, Florida. The New York City designer and brand-growth consultant grew up in Carlow, a picture-postcard village in southeast Ireland, set in rolling, lush green countryside. Ambitious from a young age, she studied commerce at University College Dublin before completing a master's in digital marketing from the Smurfit Graduate School of Business. 'Carlow is a small town, I was the small-town girl who needed to get out to achieve her big dreams,' Martha said in an interview with the Irish Independent last year. 'I always knew I wanted to be successful, that I was money-driven, business-driven – and that fashion is a tough industry and it would be a slow road.' She worked in Ireland until 2015 before moving to the U.S., where she founded several companies, including fashion accessories brand Duper and luxury swimwear label East x East. Martha lived an enviable life in Manhattan's Upper East Side, posting TikToks of herself sipping champagne, taking private jets and trips on helicopters with her boyfriend, who the Irish Independent said she planned to marry. She had finalised her uncontested divorce from ex-husband Sam Ryan in April, according to court documents filed in New York Supreme Court. Martha's Irish relatives have spoken of their devastation and disbelief that she failed to get home safely. 'I feel numb and in shock,' her shattered mom Elma Nolan told the outlet last week. 'My younger daughter, Jacqui, arrived on Tuesday night and she was crying and shaking. 'She said: 'I have terrible news, Martha's dead.'' Violent crimes are unusual in Montauk, known for its monstrous mansions, high-end dining and historic lighthouse. Influencers and celebrities flock there, particularly in the summer months, for its opulent social scene. A spokesperson for the Montauk Yacht Club - founded 1928 - added: 'We are saddened to learn of the tragic incident that took place. 'Our team is cooperating with law enforcement in their ongoing investigation and remains committed to the safety and well-being of our guests and staff.'
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Trump's nominee for Bureau of Labor Statistics was Jan 6 ‘bystander' outside Capitol, says White House
Donald Trump 's pick to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics was a 'bystander' outside the Capitol as the Jan. 6 insurrection unfolded, according to the White House. The president on Monday nominated Dr. E.J. Antoni to lead the BLS after firing the agency's commissioner earlier this month, accusing her of manipulating jobs data. In recent days, videos have emerged of the 37-year-old economist from the right-wing Heritage Foundation think tank among a mob of Trump supporters who swarmed the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Antoni is not believed to be among those who entered the building, and the video does not show him crossing barricades or demonstrating. The footage places Antoni at the Capitol about an hour after rioters tore down police barricades, as other insurrectionists poured onto its grounds. In U.S. Capitol Police surveillance video unearthed by NBC News, Antoni was spotted outside the Capitol building among a sea of supporters waving 'Stop the Steal' and 'Trump 2020' flags. In the clip, Antoni is seen walking away from the crowd on the building's west side as chants of 'USA' ring out and tear gas plumes in the background. Far-right radio host Alex Jones can be heard speaking over a megaphone. Other footage shows Antoni at the Capitol's east side, walking away from the building, according to NBC News. The video was initially released by the GOP-led House Administration Subcommittee on Oversight and archived from the social media website Parler. A White House official told NBC News Wednesday that Antoni was in Washington, D.C. for in-person meetings with his then employer, which, according to his LinkedIn profile, was the conservative think tank, the Committee to Unleash Prosperity. 'These pictures show EJ Antoni, a bystander to the events of January 6th, observing and then leaving the Capitol area,' White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers told the broadcaster in an email statement. He added it was 'wrong and defamatory to suggest EJ engaged in anything inappropriate or illegal.' While Antoni has not been accused of any wrongdoing, more than 1,500 rioters were charged with crimes connected to the attack on the Capitol building. On his first day back in office on January 20, Trump granted clemency to almost all of the defendants. Trump announced his intentions to install Antoni as BLS commissioner after removing Erika McEntarfer, whom he accused of using 'phony' numbers in the July jobs report that showed private companies adding just 73,000 positions, below projections. Under Antoni's stewardship, Trump wrote on Truth Social Monday that the numbers released would be 'HONEST and ACCURATE.' Antoni, who will face Senate confirmation, wrote on X last week that the bureau, part of the Labor Department, needed to revise its methods to 'rebuild the trust that has been lost over the last several years.' However, his nomination has intensified fears among critics that Trump wants a partisan supporter at the helm of a bureau to manipulate data to support his policies. Antoni was a contributor to the group's Project 2025, a controversial blueprint document outlining many of the moves the Trump administration has taken in office.
