In a tragic event on January 2, a mother allegedly committed a quadruple murder-suicide by killing her two sons, her 88-year-old grandmother, and then herself. The father of the boys, who were found with gunshot wounds in Waverly, Tennessee, has expressed his grief over losing his family members.
The bodies of Arius Thompson, 4, Isaiah Johnson, 13, Evelyn Johnson, 88, and Heather Thompson, 32, were discovered by Humphreys County Sheriff’s Office deputies during a welfare check. Authorities believe that Heather was responsible for the deaths before taking her own life.
Heather was estranged from Jeremiah Thompson, the father of the children, who shared his devastation on social media, describing his loss as shattering and referring to his sons as young and innocent.
Sheriff Chris Davis stated that there was no forced entry into the residence and no indication of external involvement. He mentioned the absence of prior domestic violence or mental health incidents at the location and refrained from disclosing a motive as the investigation progressed. He also confirmed that Evelyn was Heather’s grandmother.
The sheriff, emotionally affected by the tragedy, emphasized his connection to the family and vowed to honor and support them through the ordeal. In a heartfelt statement, he expressed his commitment to assisting the grieving community.
Additionally, the father, who works at Subway, initiated a GoFundMe campaign to bring his sons back to New Mexico from Tennessee. The campaign has already raised nearly $11,000, nearing its $16,000 target.
In a separate case, a young mother who admitted to suffocating her son in a disturbing video avoided prison as part of a plea deal. Emma Rigdon, 22, pleaded guilty to child abuse and neglect charges and was sentenced to five years, which was suspended by the judge. She is now required to attend anger management classes and is on probation for three years, with restrictions on contacting the victim.