Friends of Murder-Suicide Victims Share New Details
Friends of the victims of a murder-suicide in El Paso County gathered Monday to remember Tara Buckler-Lawrence and Jeffrey Lawrence.
Several dozen people lit candles outside of the home on Chieftain Drive where police said Jeff shot his wife and himself nearly two weeks ago, leaving their three boys without a mom or dad.
“I never, ever, ever thought that Jeff would do anything like this,” said Mary Krolikowski, a close friend of the couple. “I don’t think that was Jeff that night. I think that was a hurt man who just broke.”
Jeff’s family and close friends told KRDO Newschannel 13 that he was a soldier who had been discharged several years ago with PTSD.
“I know that a lot of Jeff’s anger and his problems and depression came from Iraq and the military,” said Krolikowski. “Not that the military did this to him. He volunteered and he wouldn’t have gotten out if they didn’t make him.”
Krolikowski said she met Jeff because Tara was her best friend since kindergarten.
“Tara was amazing,” she said. “The most amazing person I’ve ever met in my life, she was caring and she had a huge heart.”
Friends said Tara’s life were her children, adding that the three boys are doing very well considering the circumstances. Some close to the couple said they’ll always wonder if they could have prevented such a tragedy.
“I was the one who could talk Jeff down,” said Krolikowski. “I’ve asked myself 100 times, if I was there that night, would it have been different? Could I have changed it?”
Friends told us, while there’s hate for what Jeff did, they can’t hate him.
“Don’t get us wrong, there is a fury of, why did this happen?” said Sandra Austin, a friend of the couple. “But I do believe he was taking steps to make things better for himself. He was denied certain help he was asking for a week before this happened.”
Jeff’s best friend who he trained with at Fort Bragg told KRDO Newschannel 13 that Jeff told him that he looked for help in the military days before he killed his wife and himself. We’re investigating that claim, and will continue to follow up on this story.
