Authorities stand in front of a house in the first block of Washington Street in Middletown where five people were found dead in an apparent murder-suicide early Saturday morning. (Baltimore Sun photo by Lloyd Fox / April 18, 2009)

 MIDDLETOWN - A father killed his wife and three young children, then shot himself in an apparent murder-suicide that authorities are calling this quiet Frederick County community's "worst, most horrific event" in decades.

Frederick County sheriff's deputies found the bodies in the family home after receiving a 911 call from a relative shortly after 9 a.m. Saturday. The father, identified as Christopher Alan Wood, 34, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, authorities said. Wood's 33-year-old wife, Francis Billotti-Wood, and their three children were each shot once and also sustained "traumatic cut injuries," although authorities said autopsies would determine the exact cause of their deaths and how long they had been dead.

Authorities also said they found five handwritten notes at the scene indicating that Christopher Wood, an employee at CSX, may have had psychological and financial problems.

A 5-year-old boy and a 4-year-old boy were found in their beds, said Cpl. Jennifer Bailey, a spokeswoman for the sheriff's office. A 2-year-old girl was found with her mother in a bed in the master bedroom, Bailey said. Wood's body was found on the floor of the master bedroom, she said.

Police did not release the children's names. In a blog that Billotti-Wood maintained, she identified her children as Chandler, Gavin and Fiona.

Authorities found a shotgun near Wood's body and a 25 mm handgun in the kitchen and also removed several unidentified items that were possibly used in the killings, said Chuck Jenkins, the Frederick County sheriff, along with the notes, which were believed to have been written by the father. Jenkins described the notes as "someone's final thoughts" and said that they indicated "psychological problems." He added that in one of the notes, "he did say he was sorry."

"It was the worst, most horrific event I've seen in all my years," said Jenkins, who has worked for the Frederick County sheriff's office more than 20 years.

The sheriff said detectives had interviewed more than 50 people and were still piecing together a possible motive. Christopher Wood worked in the sales and marketing department of CSX, according to Garrick Francis, director of corporate communications. Jenkins said that while Wood was employed, "there may have been some debt problems from financial problems."

The grim discovery happened about 9 a.m. when Billotti-Wood's father went to the family's two-story yellow clapboard house in the first block of Washington Street after he had not heard from them in a couple of days, authorities said. The man forced entry into the house and found the bodies, then called 911.

The slain mother grew up in Middletown, but the family had just moved back to the area from Florida in August after being transferred by Christopher Wood's employer, according to Susan Moody, a neighbor who lives nearby on Jefferson Street.

"She was very friendly," said Moody, whose daughter had attended Middletown High School with Billotti-Wood, who was nicknamed "Francie," Moody added, "She was nice to everybody. ... She always decorated the house for all the holidays - Halloween, Christmas, St. Patrick's Day. It's hard to believe it happened. She was a vibrant young woman."

Billotti-Wood's parents were founding members 23 years ago of Holy Family Catholic Community in Middletown, according to the Rev. J. Kevin Farmer. The family, which had been attending the church since they returned to the area, was at the church on Easter Sunday, Farmer said. The wife had recently begun teaching Sunday school there, he said.

"We're all in shock," Farmer said. "This was a family that was an integral part of our family. It's a huge loss."

Farmer said he often saw the children playing outside. "They were happy," he said. "They were joyful kids."

At a 5 p.m. Mass on Saturday, the congregation "paused in prayer" for the family, he said.

Jane Durant, the director of Middletown United Methodist Church Preschool, said she last saw the slain mother, Francis Billotti Wood, on Thursday morning, when she picked up her 4-year-old son at the school.

The boy didn't come to school the next day. Durant, the school's director, thought it was unusual. Now, she wonders if something horrible happened Thursday night.

Durant also described Wood as a vibrant, bubbly and loving person.

"I just talked to her every day and she's just one of those people you fell in love with right away," Durant said.

Mike Full, 51, a mortgage consultant, and his 15-year-old daughter, Bailey, huddled near the scene, where passers-by gathered throughout the day. "It's hard to believe something like this happens, especially with kids involved," said Full.

"It's terrible. When something like this happens, it's so unexpected, especially in a small town like Middletown."

Bailey, who said she knows relatives of the family, said she found out about the family's deaths through Facebook. "People statuses [said] rest in peace and stuff," she said.

"It's awful. It's hard to grasp. I don't even know them, but I feel so awful."

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-md.middletown19apr19,0,1973183.story

Francis Billotti Wood

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Francis Billotti Wood was killed by her husband Christopher Alan Wood on April 18, 2009. Follow the police investigation and news of the trial here.

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Families in Maryland murder-suicide issue statement; planning joint ...

Over the weekend, Maryland police said Christopher Alan Wood killed his wife, Francie, and their children, Chandler, 5; Gavin, 4; and Fiona, 2. He then killed himself. The Woods lived in Jacksonville up until last year when they moved to Middletown ...  

From search.live.com via Windows Live. ( April 21, 2009)

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Couple, their 3 children found dead in US home

MIDDLETOWN, Maryland (AP) - A father killed his wife and their three young children before fatally shooting himself in a northwest Maryland home, authorities said Saturday. Christopher Alan Wood, 34, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound ...  

From search.live.com via Windows Live. ( April 18, 2009)

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Police believe father killed family, himself

Frederick County police are investigating the apparent murder-suicide of a Middletown family found dead in their home Saturday morning. According to the Frederick County Sheriff's Office, Christopher Alan Wood, 34, killed his wife, Francis Billotti ...  

From search.live.com via Windows Live. ( April 19, 2009)

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Associated Press Writer

MIDDLETOWN, Md. (AP) -- A sheriff in northwest Maryland says a wife and three children killed in an apparent murder-suicide had gunshot wounds in addition to traumatic cuts. Frederick County Sheriff Charles Jenkins says Francis Billotti Wood, her two ...  

From search.live.com via Windows Live. ( April 18, 2009)

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Couple, their 3 kids found dead in Maryland home

MIDDLETOWN, Md. -A sheriff in northwest Maryland says a wife and three children killed in an apparent murder-suicide had gunshot wounds in addition to traumatic cuts. Frederick County Sheriff Charles Jenkins says Francis Billotti Wood, her two sons ...  

From search.live.com via Windows Live. ( April 18, 2009)

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Couple, 3 Kids Found Dead in MD Home

MIDDLETOWN, Md. (AP) -- A sheriff in northwest Maryland said a wife and three children killed in an apparent murder-suicide had gunshot wounds in addition to traumatic cuts. Frederick County Sheriff Charles Jenkins said Francis Billotti Wood, her two ...  

From search.live.com via Windows Live. ( April 16, 2009)

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Francis Billotti Wood

Written by Tony on Apr-23-09 4:01pm

Francis Billotti Wood was murdered on April 18th, 2009, allegedly by her husband who later took his own life.  The family was deep in debt at the time of the tragedy, and Christopher wasn't able to earn his way out of debt. Richard J. Gelles, dean of the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy and Practice is an expert on family violence.  He was asked to comment on the Francis Billotti Wood murder case. "If you have built your identity around that you're the breadwinner... Read Full Story

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Cops: Couple, 3 kids found dead in Md. home Wife, young children suffered ‘traumatic cuts’; police say father shot himself

Frederick County Sheriff's deputies stand guard outside a house in Middletown, Md., on Saturday where five bodies were found.

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Father allegedly kills family and then himself

Press Conference: Middletown Family Killed

updated 11:13 a.m. CT, Sun., April 19, 2009

MIDDLETOWN, Md. - A Maryland man who killed his wife and three children before fatally shooting himself left behind five notes, including an apology to family members and hints that he suffered from psychiatric problems, authorities said.

The local sheriff said there were also signs that the family had financial problems.

For residents of the small town of Middletown and members of Holy Family Catholic Community Church, where the slain mother taught catechism, reports of the brutal killings were upsetting and baffling.

"We're all in shock and trying to come to terms," said Kevin Farmer, the pastor of Holy Family.

Christopher Alan Wood killed his wife and children, then himself, in their northwest Maryland home, leaving a gruesome scene that authorities said was found Saturday by the children's grandfather.

The 33-year-old mother and three children suffered "traumatic cuts" and each also had at least one gunshot wound from a .25-caliber handgun, Frederick County Sheriff Charles Jenkins said. Their precise cause of death wasn't immediately known, and Jenkins declined to say what was used to slash them.

Jenkins said Wood, an accountant at railroad operator CSX Corp., apologized to family members in one of the notes he left at the scene. The sheriff wouldn't elaborate on what else was written in the notes.

The sheriff also said there was evidence that Wood faced financial problems and may have been in debt.

CSX did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment Saturday.

The family had moved months ago to the home in Middletown, a community of fewer than 3,000 people west of Frederick, friends said.

Jane Durant, the director of Middletown United Methodist Church Preschool, said she last saw the slain mother, Francis Billotti Wood, on Thursday morning, when she picked up her 4-year-old son at the school.

The boy didn't come to school the next day. Durant, the school's director, thought it was unusual. Now, she wonders if something horrible happened Thursday night.

The dead woman's father found the slain family around 9 a.m. local time Saturday. He had grown concerned after not hearing from them for several days, Frederick County sheriff's office spokeswoman Jennifer Bailey said.

When investigators arrived at the two-story home, the couple's two sons, ages 5 and 4, lay dead in their beds, while the bodies of a 2-year-old daughter and the mother were in the master bedroom, Bailey said. On the master bedroom floor by the foot of the bed was the 34-year-old father, dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, she said.

‘You never know ...’
Francis Wood — known by some as "Francie" — returned to her native Middletown from Texas last year to be closer to her family, said Durant, the preschool director. She described Francis Wood as a vibrant, bubbly and loving person.

"I just talked to her every day and she's just one of those people you fell in love with right away," Durant said.

Neighbor Peggy Lawrence described Francis Wood as a good homemaker.

"It wouldn't lead you to believe anything was wrong," Lawrence said. "I'm still sick to my stomach. Just to see it end so quickly is so devastating and makes you realize you never know what's going on in people's lives."
 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30281727/