Man killed fiancee and her daughters at 2 separate scenes, Illinois officials say
A man killed his fiancee and her two daughters and shot another person in Illinois, officials said.
“This family has suffered an unimaginable tragedy,” a GoFundMe page said.
Officials were called on Dec. 14 for reports that a man had been shot in the stomach in Ashland, according to a news release from the Cass County Sheriff’s Office.
When officials arrived, they found the man suffering from a gunshot wound and a woman, later identified as 19-year-old Autumn Bell, dead, officials said.
The man was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries, officials said.
After speaking with the injured man, officials responded to another location in Ashland, where they found two others dead, Christina Bell, 53, and 16-year-old Alaria Bell, according to officials.
Christina Bell was the mother of Autumn and Alaria Bell, according to WLS. Autumn Bell had recently announced on social media that she was expecting a child.
“Alaria was a good girl and worked hard at school,” Lauralee Gibson, a friend of Christina Bell, told The Telegraph. “Autumn was working hard at Dot to build a life for her baby. (The survivor) is a good man. He works hard at Dot to build a life for the baby girl that was coming.”
Officials learned the suspected shooter was Christina Bell’s fiance, 62-year-old Ronald “Butch” Cobren Jr., WLS reported.
“Everybody is just truly shocked. I can’t even begin to wrap my head around it,” Rachel Pearn, a family friend, told WCIA. “Why it happened, and neither can they. Everyone is just completely devastated.”
When officials located Cobren’s vehicle, they said they found him dead inside from an apparent suicide.
The incident is still under investigation.
Ashland is about 20 miles northwest of Springfield.
Murder-suicide
Up to 600 murder-suicides happen each year, according to the FBI. They account for about 1,000 deaths a year.
“Although uncommon, such incidents vary widely in terms of the persons involved, how they are related, and where the crimes take place,” the FBI reported. “Usually, law enforcement personnel deal with murder-suicides involving two people in domestic settings or relationships.”
About 65% of murder-suicides involve intimate partners, officials said, and 81% happen in the home.
This story was originally published December 17, 2023 at 3:54 PM with the headline "Man killed fiancee and her daughters at 2 separate scenes, Illinois officials say."
