Danny Nelson: Brian Nelson asked father to babysit his children the day Oklahoma family died in murder-suicide
BROKEN ARROW, OKLAHOMA: The tragic news of an Oklahoma family's apparent murder-suicide has left the old couple devastated. The parents of the victim recalled that his beloved son asked them to come over at 3 pm to babysit their grandchildren on the day they died. Brian Nelson, 34, his wife Brittney, 32, and their six children aged one to 13 were found dead at their Broken Arrow home on Thursday, October 27, in an apparent murder-suicide.
It was earlier reported that the couple's six children were found dead inside their burning home, albeit police don't believe they died from the fire. The Oklahoma couple was identified by officials as "primary suspects," according to the New York Post Danny and Marilyn Nelson, Brian Nelson's parents, told the Tulsa World that their son had asked them to come over on Thursday at 3 pm to babysit their grandchildren. Brian agreed to take the children to his parent's house at 5 pm. As per the MEAWW report, Brian's father Danny, who lives five miles from the scene, revealed that his son was unable to work due to splitting headaches from a work injury in his 20s. The couple was also troubled by massive debt, he said.
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Speaking to Tulsa World, Brian Nelson’s parents said, "Five came and went. Then it was 6. I texted them — no responses, I turned on the 6 o’clock news, and they said there had been a fire near Hickory and Galveston in Broken Arrow. That’s where my son lives."
The Nelsons identified the deceased children as their granddaughter Britannica, 1, grandson Brian II, 13, granddaughter Brantley, 9, grandsons Vegeta, 7, Ragnar, 5, and Kurgan, 2. The younger children, according to the grandparents, were given names based on some of their son's favorite TV personalities.
As per the Tulsa World report, the two adults were discovered in front of the South Hickory Avenue house, while the six children were all found dead in a smoldering back bedroom. Although reasons for their deaths are still being determined, authorities stated they don't believe they were killed in the fire.
Couple filed for bankruptcy
According to the Daily Mail, the couple filed for bankruptcy in December 2020. They were unemployed and living off benefits while being $138,000 in debt. The majority of that amount came from unpaid student loans. Brian reported in the bankruptcy filing that he grossed just $4,510 in income in 2019, while his wife had no source of income whatsoever. The family reportedly had $8,803 in assets, including eight guns worth $1,850 in the home: five pistols valued at $1,600; a .22-caliber rifle worth $100, and two shotguns worth $150.
'I talk to God all the time'
Marilyn Nelson stated that her son always carried a gun in his pocket and that he had a license to do so. In addition, Nelson's parents disclosed to the outlet that their son had been afflicted with severe migraines ever since suffering a severe concussion while stacking dairy refrigerators at a major retail chain some years prior. Marilyn said, "I want people to know that at one time he had all his brain together. I just don’t understand why they did what they did. I just don’t understand why he ended up in that situation. I talk to God all the time — and I just don’t understand."
'Brittney Nelson was under stress'
Speaking about Brittney Nelson, Brian's parents claimed that she was under stress from homeschooling her six children and managing her health issues. The couple got married in 2008 after welcoming their first child soon after graduating from high school. The Nelsons claimed to be aware of the financial strains that their son and daughter-in-law were experiencing as a result of the quick arrival of their fifth and sixth children. They also became more distant from Danny and Marilyn in the previous year or so, Tulsa World reported.
'I think the stress was what got to them'
However, they frequently aided the young family with utility bills and offered to babysit, pointing out that Brittney had gallstones and more recently, seizures, so she frequently needed to go to doctor's appointments. When Brian asked Danny to come over and watch the kids on Thursday, he said that they were going to a doctor’s appointment for Brittney.
Danny Nelson stated, "I think the stress was what got to them, trying to figure out how to make it from one month to one month, to one month."