A man has killed his wife, ex-partner, and two sons in a devastating murder-suicide which has shattered a tight-knit community.
Anthony Nephew, 46, was found dead with a self inflicted gunshot wound inside his home on West 6th Street in Duluth, Minnesota on Thursday afternoon.
His wife, 45-year-old Kathryn Ramsland, and seven-year-old son Oliver were found dead with gunshot wounds inside the home they shared with Nephew.
Earlier, police had made a grim discovery inside the home of Nephew’s ex, Erin Abramson, less than one mile away.
Three years before his death, he spoke candidly about the mental health crisis in the United States, warning ‘breakdowns lead to suicide – or homicide before suicide.’ He also appeared increasingly concerned about the prospect of a Trump-led government.
“My mental health and the world can no longer peacefully coexist, and a lot of the reason is religion,” he said in July.
“I am terrified of religious zealots inflicting their misguided beliefs on me and my family. I have intrusive thoughts of being burned at the stake as a witch, or crucified on a burning cross.
“Having people actually believe that I or my child are Satan or, the anti-Christ or whatever their favorite color of boogie man they are afraid are this week.’
He had also accused Republicans of “making it harder for women to leave’ domestic violence relationships, writing ‘Gilead here we come.”
Gilead is an apparent reference to the Handmaid’s Tale, a dystopian republic which overthew the United States and stripped away women’s rights.
He’d spoken candidly about his mental health struggles for years, describing himself in 2022 as a suicide “survivor” and penning a column in the Duluth News Tribune about the importance of mental illness healthcare.
“Mental health in this country is stigmatized, ignored, or treated as a burden for the individual to bear alone, with little help and less understanding,’ he wrote.
“Americans deny they have mental health struggles. Because they have to, because they’re told to, or because they don’t realize their mind is broken.
“Finally the synapses overload, and they suffer a breakdown. For most of us, that’s the best end result. For millions of Americans, a breakdown leads to suicide — or homicide before suicide.’
The Duluth Police department said in a statement: “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims’ families and loved ones involved in this tragic event.’
Police said there is no ongoing threat to the community.
