An Oklahoma teen and his mom were found dead in their home
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after agreeing to an apparent mother-son suicide pact.
Tulsa cops say they may never understand what exactly drove Joseph Crabtree, 17, to shoot his mother Kimberly Crabtree, 50, then turn the gun on himself inside their picturesque suburban home. But after studying a suicide note left in the house, detectives say the pair appeared to be in agreement
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“Since he pulled the trigger on her, it’s technically a murder,” Sgt. Dave Walker
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“But that was in their pact. They were both going to die, and she mostly advanced the ball on that and did things that would make that happen.”
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believes the deaths will ultimately be listed as a murder-suicide, even though evidence showed that Kimberly was in on the deal.
It was a relative who called cops to the Crabtree’s house
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after unsuccessfully trying to enter the family’s home. Cops barged in and found the bodies.
Kimberly’s deteriorating state of mind led cops to respond to at least three mental health-related calls at their house. Still, the mother managed to purchase the gun used in the shootings just a few hours before her death.
Joseph’s Facebook profile is filled with happy photos of him with his friends. He was reportedly away from home often, at boarding and military schools.
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according to Emily Bundy, one of Joseph’s classmates, the teen was also struggling with inner demons.
Bundy said that her friend was trying to control his prescription drug abuse.
“When he came back (from boarding school), he was so excited to tell me that he didn’t want to use them anymore,”
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Bundy had spoken to Joseph last weekend, while the boy was vacationing
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Joseph revealed that he had suffered an anxiety attack and had been thinking about his dad, who died of a heart attack a few years ago. Joseph also invited Bundy over to his house to play Monopoly with his mom.
“He said that he thought it would bring life back into the house,”
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After that conversation, Joseph didn’t answer her calls. His mom Kimberly reportedly flew to Florida on Saturday to bring him back from the vacation.
Nothing could have prepared Bundy for the suicide pact.
“I never saw it coming at all,
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Neighbor Brigid Kelley said that Kimberly and Joseph are survived by two younger children — 8-year-old fraternal twins who had been staying on the East Coast.
“It’s just a tragedy, because the little kids lost their father, and now they’ve lost their mother and their brother, and they’re the only two left,”
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Before going to boarding school, Joseph had attended Cascia Hall Preparatory School and Bishop Kelley High School.
His former classmates at Cascia Hall gathered together in the school’s chapel to honor Joseph’s memory.
“This was very tragic,” said Bishop Kelley’s school president Rev. Brian O’Brien said. “We tried to do our best to provide comfort to those who were affected.”
