Dad stabs three children to death (Milkwall, England, United Kingdom)

Seems to me that talk of mom's so-called midlife crisis is pretty much irrelevant. SHE'S not the one who murdered three children. It's the FATHER, CERI FULLER, who stabbed them to death. Another example of where fathers are not held fully accountable for their violence, and where blame is diffused in every direction but where it belongs.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/9405371/Knife-recovered-from-woods-where-father-stabbed-three-children-to-death.html

Knife recovered from woods where 'father stabbed three children to death'

A knife has today been recovered from the scene where Ceri Fuller is said to have stabbed his three children to death before killing himself as relatives struggled for answers to explain the tragedy.

By Andrew Hough, Hannah Furness and Nick Britten

11:15AM BST 17 Jul 2012

The 35 year-old is thought to have stabbed his 12-year-old son Sam and daughters Rebecca, eight, and Charlotte, seven, before falling to his death from an 80ft cliff in what police described as a “tragic family situation”.

It has been disclosed that Ruth Fuller, his 34 year-old wife and the children's mother, wrote about a "completely bonkers" midlife crisis just the day before.

On Tuesday, as relatives admitted they would "love to know" what provoked the killings, West Mercia Police disclosed that they had recovered a knife, believed to be the murder weapon, at the scene.

It will now be the subject of forensic testing.

Officers continued to search an old quarry and surrounding woodland at Poles Coppice, Pontesbury, near Shrewsbury as the area remained sealed off.

All four bodies of the dead were found at the bottom of trhedisused quarry and may have lain there for days.

Det Ch Insp Neil Jamieson, the officer in charge of the investigation, said today: "I can disclose that a weapon has been recovered from the scene.

"Officers involved in the search found a knife in the vicinity of where the bodies were found. It will now be forensically examined."

Post mortem examinations will be conducted later on Tuesday. Several witnesses have come forward with "helpful information", which detectives will now use to track the vehicle's movements.

The disclosures came as relatives struggled to explain how the tragic circumstances unfolded.

Her brother-in-law Nicholas Ballard told The Daily Telegraph that the family would "love to know" what had happened to provoke Mr Fuller into such actions.

Asked whether the family had any idea what could have had happened, he said: "We'd love to know as well. I don't know yet." He declined to comment on Mrs Fuller's Facebook posts.

The day before the deaths, Mrs Fuller, an artist, wrote that her "midlife crisis" was over with only a "few completely bonkers things done".

At the same time she was seen by neighbours looking anxious and "pacing up and down the road" as if she was waiting for someone.

She wrote on Facebook: "Whew, that's midlife crisis over with then – and only a few completely bonkers things done.

"Still, very glad of the urge to reach out to people, loved that."

Several bouquets of flowers have been left outside the family's home, in which they moved into in June last year, expressing sympathy at the loss.

Crime Scene Investigators attended the the property this morning.

One card read: "To Sam, Rebecca and Charlotte. You will be sadly missed. Our thoughts are with your family at this very sad time, love Will x."

Another sad message read: "Sam, Rebecca, Charlotte. Three angels. God bless. Soraya, Aaron, Bithan."

A third tribute left outside the now-empty home said: "Sleep tight little ones. Peter, Janice, Lee and Scott xxx."

Mr Fuller's colleagues said he had not told them of any personal or financial problems.

A spokesman for the company said: “Everyone at Glatfelter CFBU is saddened by the news of the tragic and sudden death of Ceri Fuller and his children.

"The thoughts of all of the people here at Glatfelter Lydney are with Ceri’s family and friends at this extremely difficult time.

"Glatfelter CFBU is continuing to assist police in any way it can with their ongoing investigation.”

Police have said Mr Fuller’s red Land Rover Freelander had been parked since last Thursday at the entrance to the woodland in Pontesbury, 300 yards from where the discovery was made.

Detectives believe he travelled with the children from the family home in Milkwall, Glos, less than 24 hours before, setting out either earlier that morning or late the previous night.

There were sightings of the vehicle in Leominster and Welshpool during the day, before it was parked at the beauty spot where the bodies were found, known as Poles Coppice.

Ch Insp Jamieson said the four bodies were found “within 30 or 40 yards of each other”.

“We are conducting a murder investigation and at this stage we are not looking for anyone else in connection with this incident,” he said. “Although the investigation is in its early stages, it appears to be a tragic family situation.”

Detectives have refused to speculate on whether the children were still alive when the car reached the woods. Police are appealing for information about possible sightings of the vehicle and its four occupants on Thursday.

CCTV footage has been seized by police as detectives piece together Fuller's final movements.

Mr Jamieson said: "We believe this vehicle left Gloucestershire at some point last Wednesday evening or early Thursday morning and we are anxious to establish its movements since then, especially in the Pontesbury area.

"We believe it was in the Leominster area at around midday on Thursday before making its way up towards Welshpool later that day."

"I am still urging people to call Shrewsbury police station on 101 or our other number, 0300 333 3000, with any details which could help the investigation."

While police work continues in Shropshire, a team of West Mercia detectives have travelled to Gloucestershire to make further inquiries, including speaking to family members.

"We are working very closely with our colleagues in Gloucestershire to try to establish the full circumstances leading up to this tragedy," Mr Jamieson added.

Mr Fuller was a supervisor at Glatfelter paper mill in Lydney, Glos, where he had worked for 10 years.

He went to university in Huddersfield and Samuel, his first child with his future wife, Ruth Tocknell, was born in the West Yorkshire town.

His daughters Rebecca and Charlotte followed after the couple moved back to the Gloucestershire area where both were originally from, marrying in 2009.

They moved into their semi-detached home in Milkwall, near Coleford in the Forest of Dean, in July 2011.

All three children had gone to St John’s Church of England Primary School. Samuel went on to Lakers School, also in Coleford.

Distraught pupils at their school were due to attend a leavers' ceremony on Tuesday before the end of term on Thursday.

Instead, they attended a 40 minute service at their local church, St John the Evangelist, to remember the children.

A spokeswoman for Gloucester Diocese said: "It was a time to remember the children and to reflect and remember the happy things about them.

"It was so that the children had some time to let go of the terrible anger some of them might have about the tragedy."

Jan Wagstaff, head teacher at St John’s, said Becka and Charlie were “absolutely delightful” and Sam always had a “ready smile”.

She added: "Rebecca and Charlotte were absolutely delightful children and a pleasure to have in school.

"Sam was also a pupil here before he moved on to Lakers. He was a lot of fun and always had a ready smile. They will all be very sadly missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with their family."

A former neighbour of Mr Fuller described him as a “quiet and reserved” man. “We’re in shock,” he said.

Mr Fuller’s mother, Geraldine, 64, and stepfather, Geoffrey Petheram, who live in nearby Blakeney, were too upset to comment. Mrs Fuller’s parents, Anne and Ronald Tocknell, of Lydney, were believed to be with their daughter.

Alison Elliott, head of Lakers School in Coleford, added: "We are desperately sad to hear the family is having to face such a dreadful situation.

"Sam was a well loved member of our extended family here at Lakers. Our thoughts are with the family at this very tragic time.

"We have arrangements in place to support students, staff, friends and family at this very difficult time."

Mr Fuller married his wife Ruth in August 2009 and neighbours said they had lived in a cream pebbledash semi-detached home on Station Road in the village of Milkwall for about a year.

Neighbours said the family "kept themselves to themselves" but spoke of their shock.

Janice Ayres, who lives next door to the Fuller family, said: "Very, very sad, I just cannot say any more.

"I didn't even know her name (mother of children). I have children of my own and I would just be devastated. "I am surprised. They kept themselves to themselves.

"It's so sad for three young children.

"Being out at work all day you don't really know your neighbours. We would speak if we saw each other in the garden but we never socialised together.

"They were no trouble at all. They've lived here about a year and as far I know they bought the house as we knew the man who lived there before and he was selling it.

"It is dreadful really to think about it. It's the way life is these days.

"You just live your own life."

Another neighbour, who did not wish to give their name, added: "They hadn't lived here all that long. They kept themselves to themselves."

Rachel Annis, whose daughter went to the same school as Charlotte, told 5 News: "Charlotte was in my daughter's class at St John's. She was just a beautiful little girl. (They were) such characters.

"Sam would often come round and play with my son and so would Charlotte who was in my daughter's class.

"She just had an angelic face, such a little angel."

Mrs Fuller's father, Ron Tocknell, from Lydney, Gloucestershire, appealed for information when his son-in-law and grandchildren disappeared.

He wrote on his Facebook page: "If anyone who knows Ceri has any idea of his whereabouts, please contact Glos. police immediately. We are all so worried."