Parents accused of killing their six children in an apparent murder-suicide were under financial duress prior to their deaths, as per their family members.
According to reports, authorities in Oklahoma identified the deceased suspects as parents Brian Nelson, 34, and Brittney Nelson, 32.
Brian’s parents, Danny and Marilyn Nelson confirmed to Tulsa World that their six grandchildren — Brian II, 13; Brantley, 9, Vegeta, 7, Ragnar, 5, Kurgan, 2, and Britannica, 1, were the six juvenile victims in Thursday’s incident.
According to the outlet, Danny and Marilyn said they were going to babysit the kids the night they were killed. Brian and Brittney were supposed to pick them up and take them to their grandparents.
“Five came and went, then it was 6. I texted them — no responses,” Danny told the paper. “I turned on the 6 o’clock news, and they said there had been a fire near Hickory and Galveston in Broken Arrow. That’s where my son lives.”
According to the outlet, Danny believes the family of eight’s mountain of financial problems, as well as a head injury Brian allegedly sustained at work, motivated him and his wife to murder their family.
Brian and Brittney are said to have declared bankruptcy in December 2020. According to court documents obtained by the paper, the couple listed $138,000 in liabilities and nearly $9,000 in assets, including nine guns.
According to the outlet, the couple was unemployed at the time of the filing and receiving government assistance.
“I think the stress was what got to them — trying to figure out how to make it from one month to one month, to one month,” Danny told the outlet.
“Then, every time one of those headaches came around, he just would lose it because it was so excruciating,” Marilyn added.
“I want people to know that at one time he had all his brain together,” she said. “I just don’t understand why they did what they did. I just don’t understand why he ended up in that situation. I talk to God all the time — and I just don’t understand.”
Firefighters allegedly discovered the bodies of Brian and Brittney in the front of their blazing Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, home on Thursday, while the bodies of their six children were discovered in a rear bedroom, where the majority of the fire was contained, according to authorities.
The causes of death for the family members are still unknown, according to authorities, but they do not believe their deaths were caused by the fire.