Jasen Hudgens: Man kills wife, toddler son, and twin baby daughters in SHOCKING murder-suicide
PHOENIX, ARIZONA: A distraught father reportedly murdered his wife and their three young children before turning the gun on himself.
In one of the most shocking cases of family annihilation, Jasen Michael Hudgens, 44, took the lives of his wife Marla Jordan Hudgens, 40, their son Christopher Hudgens, three, and six-month-old twins Gwen and Faye Hudgens, before killing himself. The family's babysitter reportedly found the bodies and called the authorities. Officers responded to the home on Augusta Avenue at 8.00 am local time on Wednesday, November 16, "regarding an unresponsive person inside the house with a strong odor of gas," per a press release. "The Haz Mat teams entered the home and found multiple victims deceased."
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An investigation began after police verified that neighboring homes were not in danger and the "gas levels in the home were determined to be safe to enter." The release continued, "Once inside, detectives discovered the bodies of two adults and three children from what are believed to be members of the same family. The bodies had obvious signs of trauma," adding, "Support services were offered to the neighbors of this tight-knit neighborhood and those associated with the victims." Jasen Hudgens is believed to be the lone suspect in the homicide and was found with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to his head.
Speaking to CBS affiliate KPHO-TV, friends of Marla Hudgens said she wanted to end her marriage but they were unaware of any potential for violence. "We never had any indication from her that she felt scared or threatened or unsafe," her pal Brett Hagerty told the station. Following the 911 call by the family's babysitter, police, city firefighters, and hazardous materials teams were dispatched to the scene about a possible gas leak and authorities later confirmed the presence of gas at the home. As mentioned, police officers didn't enter the property for several hours over safety concerns. However, they reported discovering five bodies after the house was secured around noon.
Police spokesperson Sgt. Melissa Soliz called the incident "a complete tragedy." She said, "Not only is this devastating to the first responders that had to respond and witness what's inside, but this neighborhood is very close-knit including the extended loved ones and family members that are related to this home and this residence."
Marla was a partner at the Phoenix office of the Lewis Roca law firm. "We are overwhelmed with grief at the loss of our friend, colleague, and partner, Marla Hudgens, and her family," Ken Van Winkle Jr, managing partner of Lewis Roca, told People in a statement.
"We are in complete shock and are only just beginning to process this awful tragedy," Van Winkle continued, adding, "Marla was a passionate lawyer and advocate for her clients. She was an equally passionate leader who worked tirelessly to make our firm a better place. But more than that, Marla was a loving mother and loyal friend. The impact of this loss on the community and on our firm is immeasurable."
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While the details about what led up to the incident are still being investigated at the time of publication, police have confirmed that there were open propane tanks inside the home and a gas line that wasn't attached to a kitchen appliance.
If you would like to report domestic violence, you are urged to call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or go to thehotline.org. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages and all calls are toll-free and confidential.
If you or anyone you know is contemplating suicide, you are urged to contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741741, or visit 988lifeline.org.