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Accused Family Killer Hangs His Head At Court
posted (November 27, 2012)
Jared Ranguy is accused of killing his mother, his sister and his stepfather - and today, the 26 year old was taken to court to be arraigned for three murders.

He was calm and police had him cuffed. He wore a hooded sweater and hung his head low so that the cameras could not capture his face.

And that behavior fits in with what he is reported to have told police - that he is ashamed of what has happened and his family members now have to live with the shame of him being responsible for this.

That is what he said to police, but not in a confession statement; in his statement, we are told, he talks about sleepwalking. As we reported, 51 year-old Karen Skeen Vellos, her daughter, 32 year-old Tina Beth Skeen, and her husband, 72 year-old Robert Earl Vellos Sr., were killed inside their home on Marage Road someone around 3 a.m. on Sunday.

Karen Skeen Vellos - Jared's mother was stabbed to death; she had puncture wounds to the chest and neck, while Robert Vellos was shot to the back of his head, both in their bedroom.

In her own bedroom, police found Tina Beth Skeen with gunshot wounds to the right side of her head and her right hand. Inside the house, police also found Ranguy half-naked with a machete in his hand screaming.

Ranguy reportedly convinced all the first responders that his family members were killed in an armed home invasion. But when police searched the house yesterday morning they looked in the attic and found a black bag containing a Silver and Black in color 9mm Taurus pistol, one - 9 millimeter live round of ammunition, an orange colored knife with a seven inch blade, a T-Shirt and a pair of black pants. All the items were covered in blood.

About that live round of ammunition, Ranguy is reported to have told police that he meant to use that one on himself but the gun jammed. Indeed, the pistol in the attic was found jammed.

So now Ranguy has been charged for the triple murder of his entire family. He was arraigned before Chief Magistrate Anne Marie Smith today, and he was supported by only his father in court today, who declined comment to the media when he was approached.

There's no bail for murder, much less triple murder and he was remanded to prison until his next court date, which is scheduled for January 13, 2013.

A triple murder is a very rare event - and one man being charged for killing off the rest of his immediate family is, as far as we know, unprecedented.

It is an unusual case, because without an eyewitness, prosecutors would have to rely on circumstantial evidence - which includes forensic evidence. They would also have to rely on statements made under caution - which - according to our sources do not exactly amount to a confession statement.

We note with lamentation that in less than 3 months, Ladyville - which is still only a village - though a very large one,has witnessed an infant killing allegedly by a family member, and now the killing of a mother, sister and stepfather, allegedly by a son and brother. That's infanticide, matricide, fratricide and patricide - all in a village of about six thousand residents.

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