A couple who died in a house fire alongside their six children in a suspected murder-suicide were facing health problems and in severe debt, family members say.
Emergency services were scrambled after reports of a blaze at a house in the Broken Arrow suburb, Tulsa on October 27.
The bodies of six children were tragically found in a room near the back of the property where the fire was contained. Police have since identified the parents as Brian Nelson, 34, and Brittney Nelson, 32, while the children range in age from one to 13, according to reports.
Authorities have yet to confirm whether they suspect one or both adults were involved in starting the blaze. However, Broken Arrow Police Department said the incident “is likely a murder-suicide involving two adults and six children”, the Mirror reports.
It stated: “The two adults are being investigated as the primary suspects.”
The report of the fire was made at 4pm and Mr Nelson’s parents Danny and Marilyn told the Tulsa World that their son had asked if they could come round to babysit at 3pm. But the parents had asked if their son could bring the children around to their home at 5pm which had been agreed upon.
“Five came and went. Then it was 6. I texted them — no responses,” Danny Nelson said. “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 children were named by their grandparents as Brian II, 13, Brantley, nine, Vegeta, seven, Ragnar, five, Kurgan, two, and Britannica, one. Tulsa World told how the dead couple were facing financial problems and had filed for bankruptcy in 2020 with debts over $100,000 which were mainly student loans.
The parents said that Brian Nelson had suffered severe concussion when installing a fridge several years ago and had since suffered from headaches.
“I want people to know that at one time he had all his brain together,” Marilyn Nelson said. “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.”
Brittany also suffered from health trouble with “gallstones and more recently seizures” it was reported.
“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,” Danny Nelson said.
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