Teen witnesses murder/suicide by stepfather (Fort Rucker, Alabama)

Stepdad RONALD ZAREMBA has a history of "altercations" at home, including one with a teenage stepson. There are, no doubt, many others where the police were not called. Zaremba has now murdered his wife, while his frantic 14-year-old stepdaughter was barricaded in her room trying to call 911. Children do not need this....

http://www.zwire.com/news/newsstory.cfm?newsid=20400485&title=Teen%20witnesses%20murder%2Fsuicide%20by%20stepfather&BRD=1145&PAG=461&CATNAME=Top%20Stories&CATEGORYID=410

Teen witnesses murder/suicide by stepfather
Jan 5 2010 12:00AM By Melissa Braun Sun Staff Writer

United States Air Force Master Sgt. Ronald Zaremba Jr. Sunday murdered his wife before turning the gun on himself as his stepdaughter listened in a nearby room waiting for help to arrive.

According to an initial investigation, Zaremba, 37, shot his wife, Jenni, 37, twice before shooting himself, said Capt. Mike Lolley, public information officer for the Enterprise Police Department.

At 1:47 a.m., emergency dispatchers received an emergency call from Zaremba’s 14-year-old stepdaughter.

“She said that she heard her parents arguing and heard a loud noise. Her mother told her to call the police,” Lolley said. “So, she ran back to her room, used her cell phone and called 911.”

The emergency dispatcher could hear gunshots in the background while on the phone with the teen, he said.

One gunshot went through the teen’s bedroom door while she was on the phone with dispatchers. She was not struck though.

A second shot captured on the recording is believed to be Zaremba taking his own life.

Moments later, Enterprise police entered the Harrand Creek Drive home and found Zaremba and his wife’s bodies in the master bedroom.

Both were shot with a .45-caliber pistol, Lolley said.

“There were no signs of a physical altercation prior to the shootings.”

Zaremba arrived at Fort Rucker Nov. 26, 2007, according to Marie Vanover, Kirtland Air Force Base public affairs officer in New Mexico.

While at Fort Rucker, Zaremba served as an aircraft maintenance supervisor, she said.

“We have a history of calls at the Zaremba household, but not between he and his wife,” Lolley said.

In June and July 2008, officers responded to the Zaremba home in response to an altercation between Zaremba and Jenni Zaremba’s 17-year-old son.

“The son no longer lived at the residence though,” said Lolley.

Prior to being stationed at Fort Rucker, Zaremba served one deployment in Iraq from October 2006 to November 2007.

The couple had reportedly recently received orders to be stationed in Georgia.

On her MySpace webpage, Jenni Zaremba, a Mary Kay consultant and substitute teacher for the Enterprise School System, wrote of her love for friends and family.

She wrote of a son who was “wonderful” and “growing up way too fast” and also a daughter who was her “social butterfly.”

Jenni Zaremba last logged in to the page on Dec. 27.

Victims of Crime and Leniancy representatives were contacted immediately following the crime to provide the teen with counseling and aid, according to Lolley.