Two children shot dead in West Pennant Hills
Jack Edwards, the 15-year-old teen who was shot dead alongside his sister Jennifer, 13, by their father John Edwards, once told his friend to keep his address secret in case his dad ever came looking for them.
NSW
Don't miss out on the headlines from NSW. Followed categories will be added to My News.
POLICE have confirmed the estranged father who shot dead his two children was a 68-year-old who was later found dead with a self-inflicted gunshot wound at his home in Normanhurst.
John Edwards shot dead his two teenage children, Jack, 15, and Jennifer Edwards, 13, inside the bedroom of their West Pennant Hills home yesterday afternoon, where their mother Olga Edwards, 36, arrived home to a crime scene.
He had been an active member of the Westleigh Rural Fire Service Brigade and was the brigade treasurer in 2013.
Police said two handguns were recovered from Mr Edwards’ house in Normanhurst, which were the weapons used in the double murder.
Acting Assistant Commissioner Brett McFadden said he pre-planned the murders. He lawfully obtained the guns earlier this year.
‘WHAT A BASTARD’
Mr Edwards’ neighbours could not believe he would kill his own children.
“What a bastard and what a coward,” a neighbour Neil said.
“He was known in the street as the grumpy guy with the border collie.”
Another neighbour Edward Corbett said he remembered seeing the family in the past at the local Normanhurst Christmas street parties.
MORE NEWS:
JOYCE DRAGGED INTO RINEHARTS COURT DISPUTE
VIDEO: BIKIES COME TO BLOWS IN WILD BRAWL
“I had met Olga and the kids a couple of times, we had some Christmas street parties just across the road at the oval,” he said.
He said that he hadn’t seen Mr Edwards much lately.
“The last time I saw John was probably about a month ago, he was just driving up the street,” Mr Corbett said.
He remembered the first time he met John and Olga’s son as a child.
“The first time I met them, I was mowing the back lawn and our yards used to intersect and the young boy wandered in … he was fascinated by the mower,” he said.
He said he couldn’t put into words what he felt for Olga.
“She is a very smart fit person, I always saw her running around the oval,” he said.
MURDER WAS A ‘PLANNED ACTIVITIY’
Mr McFadden said there were no current AVOs in place and the father did not live at the West Pennant Hills home but had been living at the Normanhurst home where he was found dead.
He said the teens were subject to a “horrific homicide” and the murder was a “planned activity”.
Mr McFadden said the family had been involved in a custody dispute that was before the courts over the past two years and that John and Olga Edwards had been in a long-term relationship.
He said over an extended period of time, Mr Edwards was known to police but there had been no recent interactions with him.
Mr McFadden said John Edwards did not have an “extensive history”.
“We don’t any what we recall contemporary information in recent years. That’s part of the inquiry, we’re not sure at this time,” Mr McFadden said.
“What we do know is that the 68 year old male was the holder of a number of firearms, the two handguns located at the premises at Normanhurst were registered in his name. We understand that those handguns came into his possession lawfully, earlier this year.”
“The nature of their relationship (between John and Olga Edwards) particularly in recent times and the level of access the 68 year old had to his children is subject of investigation.”
A boy, 15, and girl, 13, were found dead inside a bedroom of the West Pennant Hills home. Police removed the bodies this morning at 6.30am.
‘HE JUST KEPT TO HIMSELF’
A woman who did not wish to be named said Mr Edwards was “involved in Lions selling Christmas cakes”.
“He was a member of Lions a couple of years ago,” she told The Daily Telegraph.
“Since his retirement when the family separated he just became reclusive.
“He just kept to himself.”
‘HE DIDN’T WANT HIS DAD TO KNOW WHERE THEY LIVED’
A friend of the 15-year-old boy killed told The Daily Telegraph he had first learned of the parents’ divorce about two years ago.
Ms Edwards’s son and daughter first moved to Thornleigh before moving to West Pennant Hills.
The son had told him that they didn’t want the father to know where they were.
“(He) told me where he lived in case I ever wanted to go this house, but he told me not to tell anyone because if he didn’t want his dad to know where they lived,” he said.
He said the son had also told him the dad had been abusive.
He said the boy was “caring” and easy to get along with.
“I hadn’t seen him in a year and came to ask if he was here. He was really caring like that,” he said.
“He was very compatible, he was easy to get along with.”
A neighbour said the daughter was “bright” and “academic”.
“She was a very intelligent, very bright girl. She was a very academic girl,” she said.
She described John Edwards, who lived alone at the Normanhurst property after his family moved out, as a “hermit” and “recluse”.
On social media he is listed as working as a certified financial planner, but neighbours believed he was retired.
He had a border collie which would bark a lot.
“It was a lovely dog, just barks a lot,” he said.
“He just kept very much to himself.
“He really just wasn’t a very warm dad. You would hear the way he spoke to the kids wasn’t great.”
‘I DON’T KNOW HOW SHE IS BREATHING’
Ms Edwards is originally from Russia and works as a lawyer, residents said.
“I just don’t know how she’s breathing at the moment,” a neighbour said.
“It’s so dreadful I can’t even imagine.”
Today, Pennant Hills High School is coming to terms with the loss of the boy, who was a student at the school.
Education Department officials were at the front gate this morning and said staff were due to have a meeting this morning to deal with the news.
“They will have a staff meeting soon,” the official said.
The 15-year-old boy who died played AFL for Pennant Hills Demons Junior AFL Club.
Pennant Hills Junior AFL Club Dean Morgan said it was a personal matter and it was too early for the club to comment on the awful situation.
“That’s a personal family affair and we won’t be commenting on it,” he said.
Family and Community Services Minister Pru Goward described the incident as a “terrible tragedy”.
“I’d like to begin by expressing my heartfelt condolences to the family, in particular the mother, of two children who were killed in West Pennant Hills last night,” Ms Goward said.
“I’ve been in touch with the Police Commissioner since last night and I understand there will be further updates during the day but this is my opportunity and the government’s opportunity to say how terrible this event has been, what a terrible tragedy.
“I cannot imagine how that mother is dealing with that but she should know we are all with her and will stand with her and do what needs to be done.”
Distraught neighbours were seen walking their children out of the crime scene area and into the school.
‘EXTREMELY DISTRESSING’
Inspector Kevin McSweeney of NSW Ambulance said it was an “extremely distressing and stressful situation”.
“We found two teenagers unfortunately deceased in a bedroom,” he said.
“At that time there was unfortunately nothing we could do to help them.”
Last night, NSW police Acting Region Commander Brett McFadden has described the crime scene at the Hull Rd home as “absolute horrific”.
“We consider this to be very much a targeted incident,” he said.
John Howard, a Hull Rd resident, told media “it’s a terrible thing that’s happened — young kids, I have no words for it”.
The 82-year-old, who has lived on the street for more than 55 years, said the area was quiet and “quite friendly”.
“There’s a lot of new people who have moved in over the last four or five years, people coming from overseas living here, they seem like nice people.”
***FOR SUPPORT CONTACT LIFELINE 13 11 14***
