Father Charged In Deaths Of Wife, 4 Children
Pastor Dale Morgan
Father Charged In Deaths Of Wife, 4 Children*
Mother Stabbed, Police Say
POSTED: 10:20 pm EST January 11, 2008
UPDATED: 9:36 pm EST January 12, 2008
MASON -- A makeshift memorial sits outside a burned out, boarded up
Mason home that was full of life less than a day ago.
Friends and neighbors came by the home all day Saturday, trying to make
sense of what police said happened inside.
It all started when a fire broke out shortly before 10 p.m. on Friday at
a home on Brackenview Court.
"It doesn't look like there's any lights on, but there's smoke just
barreling out of that house. The flames are coming out of the front
window," a 911 caller said.
Firefighters arrived to find heavy smoke and flames coming from the
three-story home at the end of a cul-de-sac and quickly knocked down the
fire.
Police said that Nadya Ferrari Veillette, 33, and children Marguarite,
8, Vincent, 4, and Jacob and Mia, both 3, were found in the home. Three
of the children were transported to Children's Hospital, where they
died. The mother and another child were pronounced dead at the scene.
The tragic scene quickly became a crime scene when firefighters
discovered that Nadya Veillette had been stabbed.
The father, Michael Veillette, who jumped from a second-story window,
also appeared to have stab wounds, police said.
Officials said none of the children were stabbed.
Michael Veillette, 34, remains hospitalized in stable but critical
condition. Veillette has been charged with one count of murder and four
counts of aggravated murder in the deaths of his wife and four children.
Veillette is also charged with one count of aggravated arson.
A source told News 5 that this incident may have started with a domestic
dispute. Police said they had no history of officers responding to the
Veillette home previously.
Word was slow to reach everyone who knew the Veillette's. Their
babysitter came by the home Saturday afternoon to watch the children,
unaware that anything had happened.
"They were my favorite family to babysit. They were just great kids,"
Sarah Nalepa said.
Others were struck by how quickly everything changed.
"Those kids came home from school yesterday and probably ate dinner ...
just walking here seeing their vehicle parked in the driveway it is very
surreal, knowing people died in that house last night," Andrew Backen said.
"We have young children as well. It's obviously something you would not
expect to happen in your neighbor," Sam Slader said.
Veillette traveled frequently for his job designing auto engines and was
home only a few days a month, neighbors said.
Marguerite was a third-grader at Mason Heights Elementary and her
brother Vincent attended pre-school at Mason Early Childhood Center,
according to school records. Neighbors said they often saw Marguerite
walking to and from the bus stop accompanied by her mother and siblings.
Ferrari-Veillette, who worked part-time at Colors CafDe in a mall in
town, often volunteered for cafeteria duty at Mason Heights Elementary
school. Staff there described her as enthusiastic and vibrant.
The family, originally from Canada, spoke both French and English and
Marguerite was studying Spanish, Mason Heights Principal Eric Messer said.
"Her mother was an amazing parent. Everyone is in shock," said Messer.
"It's such a tragedy.
Three state fire marshals have responded to assist in the investigation.
Autopsies are scheduled for Saturday.
Police said the family is from Canada and had been living in Mason for
about two years.