Christine ADEWUNMI

Christine ADEWUNMI

Classification: Murderer
Characteristics: Murder-suicide - Diagnosed with bipolar disorder - Depression
Number of victims: 3
Date of murder: March 17, 2012
Date of birth: September 25, 1974
Victim profile: Her three daughters, Lauren, 8, Samantha, 6, and Kate, 3
Method of murder: Shooting
Location: Crawford County, Missouri, USA
Status: Committed suicide by shooting herself the same day
Christine Adewunmi was a Missouri mother diagnosed with bipolar disorder and depression who shot her three daughters before killing herself on March 17, 2012.

St. Louis County family grasps for answers in deaths of 3 girls, mother

By Michelle Munz and Stephen Deere - Stltoday.com

March 20, 2012

ST. LOUIS COUNTY - Christine Adewunmi's family members knew she battled depression and saw her struggle. But they also saw a devoted mother who, they say, made her children "the number one priority in her life."

The family is now left with only questions about how Christine, 37, could drive her three young kids to a remote spot in Crawford County and fatally shoot them, along with herself.

It was not the Christine they knew — not the mother who took the kids to the park, enjoyed family vacations and played in the yard.

"Depression is difficult to understand and a serious illness that is hard to comprehend," the family said in a statement released Monday. "No one knew the depths of her problem or could ever foresee this tragedy occurring. We cannot understand why this happened and are dealing with this tragic loss one minute at a time."

The three girls — Lauren, 8, Samantha, 6, and Kate, 3 — and their mother were found dead Saturday at the Meramec River near Bourbon, Mo.

Crawford County Sheriff Randy Martin said investigators from his office and the Missouri Highway Patrol confirmed that Adewunmi fired the fatal shots. The bodies were found near the family SUV, which was parked at the dead end of a gravel road leading to the river, he said.

The shots were fired from a handgun, but Martin declined to be more specific about the weapon.

"We are confident this was a triple-murder/suicide, with the mother doing the shooting," Martin said.

The bodies were discovered about 1 p.m. Saturday near Blue Springs Ranch, which provides camping, horseback riding and float trips on the Meramec. Martin said the gravel road is in a remote part of the property.

Christine's husband, Leonard Adewunmi, told police on Friday night, when he called to report the family missing, that his wife had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, was suffering from depression and that he feared she was suicidal.

Leonard Adewunmi said his wife and children were asleep early Friday morning when he left their home on Arbor Bluff Circle in west St. Louis County for work, according to the missing-persons report filed with police. He came home at 6 p.m. that night to an empty house. Adewunmi tried calling his wife's cellphone more than 25 times, according to the police report.

Leonard Adewunmi told police his wife had been looking up websites on depression and suicide. She had recently seen a therapist and was referred to a hospital for evaluation, the police report said.

Adewunmi also told police that his wife had left with the children on two prior occasions and had lied about where they went. The children told him that they had been at a house by the water, according to the report.

The family's statement said relatives, friends and professionals supported Christine Adewunmi as she battled depression and 'stood by her side as she coped with this debilitating disease."

Alan Berman, director of the American Association of Suicidology, said studies show most perpetrators of murder-suicides are men. Cases where mothers take their children's lives in addition to their own, Berman said, are far fewer and more complex.

He said some mothers have delusions that they may actually be protecting their children by killing them. The women tend to believe that no one else can care for the children.

"Her children need to be under her wing even in her death," Berman said. "It's a horrendous loss of life for the children, but that's not in her brain. She's thinking, 'They need to be with me.'"

Christine Adewunmi graduated from Kirkwood High School with the maiden name of Pannett.

She was a physical education teacher at Parkway North from December 1998 to June 2006. Her daughters attended Oak Brook Elementary in the Parkway School District.

Oak Brook Principal Chris Shirley sent parents a letter via email on Sunday night notifying them of the deaths. Lauren was a second-grader, and Samantha was in first grade. The youngest, Kate, was a preschooler and took part in the school's parent-child interaction program.

The school is on spring break this week. When students return, there will be additional support to help them, staff and parents process their feelings and grief, Shirley said in the letter.

Neighbors have said Christine Adewunmi was a devoted stay-at-home mom who was always playing outside with her kids or driving them to various activities.

The family's statement describes Leonard Adewunmi as an "involved and caring dad" who "will miss cooking with Lauren, playing soccer with Sammi, and singing to Kate."

LEGAL ISSUES

Leonard Adewunmi, 42, is listed on the business networking website LinkedIn as a managing partner of CRI Commercial Properties, described as owning and managing several apartment and commercial units in the St. Louis area.

In 2006, a class-action lawsuit was filed against Cots Realty Investments, which Leonard Adewunmi owned with his brother Joseph Adewunmi; as well as Re/Max Associates Plus, where the brothers worked as agents.

The suit alleges homes were sold at inflated values to Hispanics with limited English proficiency. The defendants were accused of falsifying the buyers' employment, income and assets so they would qualify for the mortgage. The case is pending.

Joseph Adewunmi was indicted on related criminal charges almost two years ago and was later sentenced to three years' probation and ordered to pay $127,000 in restitution.

The statement from the Adewunmi family said Leonard is a devout Catholic who worked "very hard to give his wife and children a wonderful life."

"He is a proud and loving father of his three smart, beautiful and talented little girls," the family said.

Christine Byers, Jessica Bock and Tim O'Neil of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.

'No one knew the depths of her problem': The devoted mother who shot dead her three daughters before killing herself after battle with depression

By Meghan Keneally - DailyMail.co.uk

March 20, 2012

The Missouri mother who shot her three daughters before killing herself had recently been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and depression.

After investigating the scene and talking to relatives, police confirmed that they believe Christine Adewunmi was the one to kill her three daughters- Lauren, 8, Samantha, 6, and Kate, 3.

‘We are confident this was a triple-murder/suicide, with the mother doing the shooting,’ Crawford County sheriff Randy Martin said.

Pictures of Christine, her husband Leonard Adewunmi, and their three beautiful girls show the loving family that neighbors were familiar with.

The stay-at-home mom and former physical education teacher was known for taking the girls to the park and playing with them often in the family’s yard.

Inside, however, she was battling demons that even her own family cannot grasp.

‘Depression is difficult to understand and a serious illness that is hard to comprehend,’ they said in a statement following the discovery of the four bodies on Saturday afternoon.

‘No one knew the depths of her problem or could ever foresee this tragedy occurring. We cannot understand why this happened and are dealing with this tragic loss one minute at a time.’

Their neighbour Jeff Melching told Fox News: 'There was no indication of any problems. They were talking to me like normal neighbours would when you meet somebody for the first time.'

Leonard Adewunmi knew that something was wrong Friday night when he came home from work and his wife and children were missing, and he immediately reported it to police.

While talking to police, he told them that he feared she may be suicidal as a result of her bipolar diagnosis and depression.

He had taken Christine to Mercy Hospital for an evaluation on Thursday- the day before she disappeared with the girls- and she had decided that she would check herself in for treatment on Friday.

Christine's sister Debbie Van Deven told a local CBS affiliate of Christine's planned treatment, and she said that Leonard may not have known of that schedule.

When police searched the family's home computer during the missing persons investigation, they found a number of searches on how to kill yourself and information about depression.

Leonard said that she had previously left with their daughters twice before but had returned, although she lied about her whereabouts each time.

He tried calling his wife’s cell phone more than 25 times, according to local newspaper St Louis Today.

Around 1pm the next day, a guest at Blue Springs Ranch discovered the bodies along a gravel road. A handgun was also discovered nearby.

Mr Martin said the four victims were not guests at the campground, located near the Meramec River, although the mother's vehicle was found in the vicinity.

Now the community is left to come to grips with the tragic turn of events.

The three girls were all enrolled in local public school, Oak Brook Elementary, and letters have been sent to their fellow students informing them of the news as the district is currently on spring break.

In the meantime, Mr Adewunmi, who the family called an ‘involved and caring dad’ in their statement, will ‘miss cooking with Lauren, playing soccer with Sammi, and singing to Kate’.

St. Louis County woman in murder-suicide had battled depression

By Stephen Deere - Stltoday.com

March 19, 2012

The St. Louis County woman suspected of killing her three girls before fatally shooting herself was a "loving and devoted mother" but had battled depression, according to her family.

"No one knew the depths of her problem or could ever foresee this tragedy occurring," the family of Christine Adewunmi said in a statement released this afternoon. "We cannot understand why this has happened and are dealing with this tragic loss one minute at a time."

The three girls and their mother were found dead Saturday at the Meramec River near Bourbon, Mo. Police have called the case a murder-suicide.

Christine Adwunmi had been diagnosed with bi-polar disorder, her husband told police.

Leonard Adewunmi contacted county police on Friday night to report that his wife and their three children were missing. He said they were asleep at their home on Arbor Bluff Circle in west St. Louis County when he left for work early Friday morning.  But when he returned at 6 p.m., they were gone, according to the missing person report.

Adewunmi told police that he tried to reach his wife more than 25 times on her cellphone, to no avail.

Leonard Adewunmi feared his wife was suicidal and said she had been looking at websites about depression and suicide, according to the police report. She had recently seen a therapist and had been referred to a hospital for evaluation, the report said.

He also told police that his wife had left with the kids on two other occasions and had lied about where they went.

Crawford County Sheriff Randy E. Martin said investigators from his office and the Highway Patrol confirmed that Christine Adewunmi fired the fatal shots. Their bodies were found near the family SUV, which was parked at the dead end of a gravel road leading to the river, he said.

"We are confident this was a triple-murder/suicide, with the mother doing the shooting," Martin said.

Martin said investigators are talking with family members to determine why Christine Adewunmi, 37, drove her daughters to such a remote location, and why she would have killed them. He said the shots were fired from a handgun, but he declined to more specific about the weapon.

Martin said her body was found with those of her three children, Lauren, 8, Samantha, 6, and Kate, 3.

The bodies were discovered about 1 p.m. Saturday near Blue Springs Ranch, which provides camping, horseback riding and float trips on the Meramec River. A woman who answered the phone at the campground said the Adewunmis were not staying at the campground.

Martin said the gravel road is in a remote part of the property, away from the campground.

Christine Adewunmi graduated from Kirkwood High School with the maiden name of Pannett.

She was a physical education teacher at Parkway North from December 1998 to June 2006. Her daughters attended Oak Brook Elementary in the Parkway School District. The family's statement says she "spent the last nine years making her children the number one priority in her life."

Oak Brook Principal Chris Shirley sent parents a letter via email on Sunday night notifiying them about the deaths. Lauren was a second-grader and Samantha was in first grade. The youngest, Kate, was involved with the school as a preschooler and through the parent-child interaction program.

The school is on spring break this week. When students return, there will be additional support to help them, staff and parents process their feelings and grief, Shirley said in the letter. The principal also included resources for parents to help talk to their kids about death.

Leonard Adewunmi told St. Louis County police that his wife had first disappeared about three weeks ago, prompting him to call police, but she returned shortly afterward. She did so again last Tuesday but again returned, according to the police report.

Leonard Adewunmi, 42, is listed on the business networking website LinkedIn as a managing partner of CRI Commercial Properties, described as owning and managing several apartment and commercial units in the St. Louis area.

The family's statement calls him an "involved and caring dad" who "worked very hard to give his wife and children a wonderful life."

Tim O'Neil, Jessica Bock and Christine Byers of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.

Christine Adewunmi was battling mental illness according to police

By Courtney Gousman - Ksdk.com

March 19, 2012

St. Louis County (KSDK) - NewsChannel 5 is learning a lot more about what could have lead a St. Louis County mother to kill her three daughters, and then herself.

A missing person's report filed by the husband and father of the victims details Christine Adewunmi's battle with mental illness. It paints a troubled mental history for the 37-year-old mother.

Investigators say Christine shot her three girls, 8-year-old Lauren, 6-year-old Samantha, and 3-year-old Kate, before taking her own life. Their bodies were discovered Saturday at a campground outside of Bourbon, Missouri.

The coroner says all four victims had a single gunshot to the head, from a nine millimeter handgun. The coroner believes the victims died sometime Friday afternoon, but weren't discovered until Saturday.

We learned from the Parkway School District that before she became a mother, Christine Adewunmi was a physical education teacher at Parkway North High School in Creve Coeur from 1998 through 2006.

Adewunmi also taught health classes and was a coach for the girl's track and softball teams.

During her high school days, she was known as Christine Pannett, a 1993 graduate of Kirkwood High.

It was recently that Adewunmi was battling problems with her mental health. According to a missing persons report filed by her husband Friday evening, the wife and mother had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and was dealing with depression.

Her husband also cited two other occasions in recent weeks when Christine disappeared with the kids. It happened as recently as last Tuesday.

In the police report, the husband and father also called his wife suicidal, and believed she had been searching for ways to kill herself on the internet.

The husband told police he took his wife, to Mercy Hospital to be evaluated on Thursday. Christine told her sister she was planning to admit herself for treatment on Friday.

Credit card statements obtained by investigators show Christine and her daughters ate at a Sullivan, Missouri McDonald's just before 11:30 Friday morning.

Investigators believe Christine Adewumni purchased the gun used and found the box in the family SUV.

Rachel Crowe works for the St. Louis Crisis Nursery. The nursery's mission is short-term care for children when families are going through a crisis.

"We have a 24 hour help line that has an intake counselor ready to talk to anybody who may be in need of some support. It's amazing what just reaching out and talking to a person can do," said Crowe.

The following is a statement NewsChannel 5 received from the family of Christine Adewunmi:
"It is with a heavy heart and extreme sadness that we release this statement about Christine, Lauren, Samantha and Kate Adewunmi. This is a very challenging time for the family and friends and we appreciate all the support, prayers and love.

"Christine Adewunmi was a loving and devoted mother. She spent the last 9 years making her children the number one priority in her life - going to the park, taking them on vacations, playing in the yard and making sure they had a good childhood.

"Christine was battling depression. Family, friends and professionals were supporting her recovery and stood by her side as she coped with the debilitating disease. Depression is difficult to understand and a serious illness that is hard to comprehend. No one knew the depths of her problem or could ever foresee this tragedy occurring. We cannot understand why this has happened and are dealing with this tragic loss one minute at a time. We firmly believe the Christine we knew and loved would never intentionally hurt her children.

"As the days go on, we pray for Leonard Adewunmi as he deals with this horrible loss. He is a proud and loving father of his three smart, beautiful and talented little girls. As an involved and caring dad, he will miss cooking with Lauren, playing soccer with Sammi, and singing to Kate. Leonard is a devout Catholic and family man that worked very hard to give his wife and children a wonderful life. Please respect his privacy as he has just lost his entire family.