By Jason van Rassel, Joel Kom and Kristen Odland , Canwest News Service
Published: Thursday, May 29, 2008
CALGARY - Hard-working, devoted father Joshua Lall heard voices in his head and believed he was possessed by the devil before the mass killing that claimed his life and four others, sources told the Calgary Herald.
About two weeks ago, Lall began acting strangely and work stresses seemed to be bothering him a great deal, police sources said.
Others familiar with the case were more specific, saying Lall expressed fears he was possessed by the devil.
"He said he was hearing voices in his head," said one source, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Officially, police investigators said Thursday it will take more time to say for certain whether Lall killed his wife, two of their children and a female tenant inside the family's Calgary home before taking his own life.
"The preliminary indications . . . have led us down that path," said Insp. Guy Slater, commander of the major crimes section.
"We continue to pursue that as one of many possibilities in this investigation."
Lall, 34, his wife, Alison, 35, and their two daughters, Kristen, 5 1/2, and Rochelle, 3 1/2, were found dead in their home on Dalhart Hill in northwest Calgary on Wednesday morning.
Their one-year-old daughter, Anna, was unharmed.
Amber Bowerman, 30, who was renting a basement suite in the house, was also killed.
Alison Lall's mother, Sheila Fraser, described her daughter as completely devoted to her own three young daughters.
"It's just a tremendous loss," Fraser said. "She was an absolutely beautiful human being who did everything and did it very well."
The fact investigators are focusing on Joshua Lall as the culprit is at odds with a lifetime spent making positive contributions.
He was a high-school valedictorian, track star and volunteer fundraiser for his local community association.
Police are continuing to call the case a "domestic homicide" but stressed autopsies haven't been completed and investigators are still in the process of analyzing a large amount of evidence from the grisly scene.
Sources said the killings were committed with an edged weapon, but investigators are awaiting autopsy results before commenting.
"Information is coming in by the minute, in terms of background information, family information," Slater said.
Another ominous sign that has come to light is a phone call Lall made to his parents in Ontario a few days before the killings.
The conversation was troubling enough to prompt his parents to book a flight to Calgary.
The flight, however, brought them to the city Wednesday night - too late to intervene before tragedy struck.
A close friend detected some anxiety from Lall during a visit a few weeks ago, but said it didn't appear to be more than what he and his wife could handle.
"He was a little stressed with work," said Jennifer Klein, who lives in Edmonton.
"We talked about it openly when they were here."
Klein declined to specify what was on Lall's mind, though she said they all talked about what options he had to deal with his worries.
Lall also had "some big exams coming up," Klein said, tests that could have allowed him to fulfil his ambition of becoming an architect.
Lall was an intern architect at local firm Cohos Evamy, but called in sick on Monday.
On Tuesday, he asked for a week off.
Nevertheless, the firm's studio chair, Rob Adamson, said Lall had never come to him with any personal problems and didn't appear to be under an unusual amount of stress at work.
Although people with mental illness often have a long history of psychiatric problems, experts said it's possible for some to not have any psychotic episodes until their 30s, brought on by anything, such as major depression, a thyroid disorder or other medical problems.
"With psychotic symptoms, you can develop them at different stages of life," said Dr. Cynthia Baxter, a forensic psychiatrist.
Mental health professionals say it's possible for adults to experience a psychotic episode, even if they don't suffer from a long-term disease like schizophrenia. In psychosis, the patient loses touch with reality and can hear or see things that aren't there. They can also experience paranoia.
"If I were to see a 35-year-old professional in the emergency room with psychotic symptoms, schizophrenia would be (possible), but it would more likely be depression or a mood disorder like bipolar," said Baxter.
"Being mentally ill doesn't make you more likely to kill your family," said Baxter. "The vast, vast majority of mentally ill people are never going to harm anyone else."
Investigators continued their work Thursday, but took down the yellow tape surrounding the Lalls' home, allowing a steady stream of people to come and pay their respects.
As the day wore on, a memorial of flowers and toys grew below a weeping birch in front of the house.
Jeremy Colpitts, a father of two young daughters, brought a stuffed toy leopard to the home Thursday. He had heard about the tragedy on the news and felt compelled to visit the home.
"I've got kids, too," he said. "I couldn't imagine. It's very sad."
Alka Chandiramani, who worked with Alison for just over two years at the Providence Children's Centre, hadn't seen her friend for a long time before they ran into each other recently at an elementary school function.
She and her five-year-old twin girls brought flowers to the site. They also said a prayer.
"I wanted to show my kids why I was grieving and to say goodbye to the family," Chandiramani said.
Rev. Paras Persad, a minister at the Eastside Baptist Church, also arrived at the Lall home.
He said a lot of people in the community are supporting one another to get through this difficult time.
"Pain runs deep and it takes a while to unpack emotions," he said.
With files from Richard Cuthbertson and Michelle Lang, Calgary Herald
Father in Calgary massacre felt possessed
By Jason van Rassel, Joel Kom and Kristen Odland , Canwest News Service
Published: Thursday, May 29, 2008
CALGARY - Hard-working, devoted father Joshua Lall heard voices in his head and believed he was possessed by the devil before the mass killing that claimed his life and four others, sources told the Calgary Herald.
About two weeks ago, Lall began acting strangely and work stresses seemed to be bothering him a great deal, police sources said.
Others familiar with the case were more specific, saying Lall expressed fears he was possessed by the devil.
"He said he was hearing voices in his head," said one source, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Officially, police investigators said Thursday it will take more time to say for certain whether Lall killed his wife, two of their children and a female tenant inside the family's Calgary home before taking his own life.
"The preliminary indications . . . have led us down that path," said Insp. Guy Slater, commander of the major crimes section.
"We continue to pursue that as one of many possibilities in this investigation."
Lall, 34, his wife, Alison, 35, and their two daughters, Kristen, 5 1/2, and Rochelle, 3 1/2, were found dead in their home on Dalhart Hill in northwest Calgary on Wednesday morning.
Their one-year-old daughter, Anna, was unharmed.
Amber Bowerman, 30, who was renting a basement suite in the house, was also killed.
Alison Lall's mother, Sheila Fraser, described her daughter as completely devoted to her own three young daughters.
"It's just a tremendous loss," Fraser said. "She was an absolutely beautiful human being who did everything and did it very well."
The fact investigators are focusing on Joshua Lall as the culprit is at odds with a lifetime spent making positive contributions.
He was a high-school valedictorian, track star and volunteer fundraiser for his local community association.
Police are continuing to call the case a "domestic homicide" but stressed autopsies haven't been completed and investigators are still in the process of analyzing a large amount of evidence from the grisly scene.
Sources said the killings were committed with an edged weapon, but investigators are awaiting autopsy results before commenting.
"Information is coming in by the minute, in terms of background information, family information," Slater said.
Another ominous sign that has come to light is a phone call Lall made to his parents in Ontario a few days before the killings.
The conversation was troubling enough to prompt his parents to book a flight to Calgary.
The flight, however, brought them to the city Wednesday night - too late to intervene before tragedy struck.
A close friend detected some anxiety from Lall during a visit a few weeks ago, but said it didn't appear to be more than what he and his wife could handle.
"He was a little stressed with work," said Jennifer Klein, who lives in Edmonton.
"We talked about it openly when they were here."
Klein declined to specify what was on Lall's mind, though she said they all talked about what options he had to deal with his worries.
Lall also had "some big exams coming up," Klein said, tests that could have allowed him to fulfil his ambition of becoming an architect.
Lall was an intern architect at local firm Cohos Evamy, but called in sick on Monday.
On Tuesday, he asked for a week off.
Nevertheless, the firm's studio chair, Rob Adamson, said Lall had never come to him with any personal problems and didn't appear to be under an unusual amount of stress at work.
Although people with mental illness often have a long history of psychiatric problems, experts said it's possible for some to not have any psychotic episodes until their 30s, brought on by anything, such as major depression, a thyroid disorder or other medical problems.
"With psychotic symptoms, you can develop them at different stages of life," said Dr. Cynthia Baxter, a forensic psychiatrist.
Mental health professionals say it's possible for adults to experience a psychotic episode, even if they don't suffer from a long-term disease like schizophrenia. In psychosis, the patient loses touch with reality and can hear or see things that aren't there. They can also experience paranoia.
"If I were to see a 35-year-old professional in the emergency room with psychotic symptoms, schizophrenia would be (possible), but it would more likely be depression or a mood disorder like bipolar," said Baxter.
"Being mentally ill doesn't make you more likely to kill your family," said Baxter. "The vast, vast majority of mentally ill people are never going to harm anyone else."
Investigators continued their work Thursday, but took down the yellow tape surrounding the Lalls' home, allowing a steady stream of people to come and pay their respects.
As the day wore on, a memorial of flowers and toys grew below a weeping birch in front of the house.
Jeremy Colpitts, a father of two young daughters, brought a stuffed toy leopard to the home Thursday. He had heard about the tragedy on the news and felt compelled to visit the home.
"I've got kids, too," he said. "I couldn't imagine. It's very sad."
Alka Chandiramani, who worked with Alison for just over two years at the Providence Children's Centre, hadn't seen her friend for a long time before they ran into each other recently at an elementary school function.
She and her five-year-old twin girls brought flowers to the site. They also said a prayer.
"I wanted to show my kids why I was grieving and to say goodbye to the family," Chandiramani said.
Rev. Paras Persad, a minister at the Eastside Baptist Church, also arrived at the Lall home.
He said a lot of people in the community are supporting one another to get through this difficult time.
"Pain runs deep and it takes a while to unpack emotions," he said.
With files from Richard Cuthbertson and Michelle Lang, Calgary Herald
