Justin Zachariah Matern Kills His Wife Melissa and Two Kids, Gabriel, 6, & Raiden, 4, in Their Utah Apt., in Apparent Murder-Suicide

Justin Zachariah Matern shot and killed his estranged wife Melissa Ann Matern, 31, and their two young boys, 6-year-old Gabriel and 4-year-old Raiden, with a handgun, in their apartment in West Jordan, UT. He turned the gun on himself and committed suicide. Police Sgt. Drew Sanders said that an investigation has determined that the family died of gunshots inside a unit in Building 5 at the Willow Cove Apartments, 9300 South Redwood Road, sometime Thursday.

Sgt. Sanders said Matern reportedly shot his family and then himself -- after texting friends and relatives to confess to the slayings, indicating he intended to take his own life next.  What a dirtbag! I can't understand why these people just don't take their own lives and leave everyone else alone.

According to the Salt Lake Tribune, Sanders said that what appeared to be a suicide note was found at the father's place of work, but police did not immediately release the location of the workplace or name the business that had employed the father.

Police were called to the apartments about 7:30 p.m. Thursday to check on the welfare of unit's occupants. They briefly entered the unit about an hour later, discovered the bodies, backed out of the scene and applied to a judge for a search warrant before proceeding further.

No matter how you look at this, it is a heinous act perpetrated by a coward and a heartless person. How can anyone take the lives of their children and their spouse? That is just horrific and there is absolutely no justification for his actions.