Murder-Suicide: Pregnant Woman, 2-Year-Old Boy Killed In Arkansas By Husband/Father

[Sugar Cookie]

Police in Van Buren are investigating a possible murder-suicide that occurred Sunday (April 18) morning. The victims include a man, a pregnant woman and a 2-year-old boy.

During a press conference on Monday (April 19), Johnathan Wear, Van Buren Police Department Public Information Officer, said a 911 call was made by a man Sunday morning saying that he heard arguing and gunshots from his neighbor's next door.

When police arrived, the bodies of Paiden Priest, 23, and Grayson Beckham, 2, were discovered.

David Priest, 24, was also found at the scene. He had a gunshot wound and was rushed to an area hospital where he later died.

Neighbors told 5NEWS Paiden was pregnant and had recently had a baby shower.

All three bodies have been sent to the Arkansas State Crime Lab for an autopsy.

Wear says the homicides are being investigated as a murder-suicide, and that police believe at this time that the shootings were carried out by David.

"It's very hard to make sense of an incident like this," Wear said during the press conference. "We've dealt with similar incidents. From my time here at the PD, this is one of the worst ones I've ever seen."

He said the couple had no past run-ins with the police.

Pregnant woman, child among three dead in Van Buren shooting

A suspected murder-suicide claimed the life of a young mother and son in Van Buren.

www.khou.com

 

[Brillig]

That's a very cute little boy. RIP, Grayson.

 

[Sejanus]

Maybe someone else got her preggo.

 

[Mountaineer95]

As we say here, it’s a shame he didn’t plan shoot himself first, THEN go after his innocent family.

Dude, if you’re that depressed, get help! In these situations, I don’t think depression alone is the issue, if at all. I think narcissism or similar psychopathies are at work. If he was just depressed, he could have killed himself ONLY. To kill the others shows at least he has no respect for them and their lives individually. He is a selfish, narcissistic man who needed ultimate control IMO.

 

[Ramona the brave]

As we say here, it’s a shame he didn’t plan shoot himself first, THEN go after his innocent family.

Dude, if you’re that depressed, get help! In these situations, I don’t think depression alone is the issue, if at all. I think narcissism or similar psychopathies are at work. If he was just depressed, he could have killed himself ONLY. To kill the others shows at least he has no respect for them and their lives individually. He is a selfish, narcissistic man who needed ultimate control IMO.

Reading about familicide (as weirdos like me tend to do) that is a common motivator. They try to build a picture-perfect lifestyle because they're narcissists, and when it falls apart, they just kill everyone instead of dealing with it. Like a petulant child.

 

[Mountaineer95]

Reading about familicide, I find that’s a common motivator. They try to build a picture-perfect lifestyle because they're narcissists, and when it falls apart, they just kill everyone instead of dealing with it. Like a petulant child but with weapons and motive.

In some of those cases (Darren Mack is a name that comes to mind though he unfortunately didn’t off himself), I really think that the “killer” (whether they commit suicide or not) is so self-obsessed that they consider their kids not as actual individual people, but as extensions of themselves. Almost like a limb, for lack of a better explanation. Regardless, they actually believe that killing the mother of their children is justified just because he wants her dead. Then they proclaim in court to love their kids. No, you don’t love your kids, because you don’t understand how love works.