As residents of Whitecourt and Spruce Grove try to come to terms with the tragic deaths of two boys, whose bodies were found along with their father in a double murder-suicide this week, court documents are providing a glimpse into the tense relationship between their parents.
On Tuesday night, a candlelit vigil was held in Whitecourt in honour of 13-year-old Ryder and 11-year-old Radek MacDougall. The brothers were killed by their father Corry MacDougall in a double murder-suicide.
That evening, the boys’ mother Tracy Stark spoke at the gathering.
“It is hard enough for an adult to understand, to all these kids, we just don’t have an answer, nor do we, but I just, I know Ryder and Radek are looking down,” Stark said.
A family friend told CTV News that Stark, and her husband Brent, are inconsolable.
“They’re not even in a shock phase right now, they’re entirely numb,” Rodney Koscielny said.
Documents obtained by CTV News show tension between the divorced biological parents of two young boys, who were found slain in a Spruce Grove home this week.
The documents for MacDougall and Stark’s case outline their tumultuous relationship – including disputes over custody, visitation, and child care payments.
MacDougall had no criminal record, but those extensive documents also contained concerning allegations, Stark alleged the father of her sons had anger issues, and that she and the boys were scared of him.
In a 2014 affidavit, which has not been proven in court, Stark wrote:
“Not only are the children afraid of [their dad], but I am also. I believe [Corry] to be very unstable, with admitted anger issues.”
Three accounts in an affidavit dated June, 2014 outlined violent incidents:
In one case, Stark said she “cooked a frozen shepherd’s pie for dinner, and when [MacDougall] came home, he threw the dinner at the wall saying he doesn’t work all day to eat a frozen meal.”
When Ryder was two years old, Stark said “[MacDougall] threw our Christmas tree out the window, leaving me to pick up the broken tree and ornaments off the ground.”
Finally, Stark said she came home “after a night out with friends” to find “a casserole dish thrown at the wall, with the broken ceramic pieces and food littering the floor.”
There are no recent court documents to show there has been conflict in 2016.
Stark’s husband told CTV News his stepsons had just started living with their father in Spruce Grove at the start of the school year in the fall to accommodate their hockey schedules.
“We are at a loss for words, we don’t know what to say,” Brent Stark said.
Another memorial for the two boys is scheduled to take place Thursday night at the Stu Barnes Arena in Spruce Grove at 6 p.m.
With files from Angela Jung
