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Former pastors leaves chilling message for wife in family home before killing daughter and himself

A FORMER pastor in Portland, America shot dead his daughter and himself after leaving a chilling message for his wife in the family’s home.

27-year-old, Claire Randall, was shot dead by former pastor and father
27-year-old, Claire Randall, was shot dead by former pastor and father

AFTER leaving a disturbing message for his wife, a troubled father shot dead his daughter and then himself.

The grim discovery was made in Hebron by a neighbour who found 56-year-old Daniel Randall lying face down on the front deck of his home.

Daniel Randall was a former pastor who had just accomplished a 90-day program for alcohol abuse.

It’s believed he left the Liberty Bay Recovery Centre in Portland, Maine, at about 10am on Thursday.

According to police, Mr Randall then bought a shotgun before driving to a Hebron home, located approximately 60 kilometres northwest of Portland.

A nearby neighbour found the words ‘VOW BREAKER’ spray-painted across the kitchen counter in the family’s home and made a call to police.

Officers discovered Randall’s 27-year-old daughter, Claire, dead in the bathroom with multiple shotgun wounds, The Washington Post reports.

Mr Randall had been estranged from his family and did not have a key to the house. It’s believed he broke in through the garage before shooting dead his daughter and himself.

Five rooms in the family’s home were covered in spray-painted messages, Maine State police say.

One of the messages read “Anita, it’s all your fault”, according to WCSH 6. The message was for his wife, who had previously filed for a divorce.

Anita Randall had asked close-by neighbour, Carroll Daggett, to check on her daughter, Claire, after she wasn’t answering her phone. It was then Mr Daggett discovered Mr Randall’s body on their front veranda.

Mr Daggett described Randall as a “very pleasant person” and a family man, however he did show signs of stress and struggled to keep eye contact, the Portland Press Herald reports.

Claire Randall had a bachelor’s degree in music, was a singer in a band called Trot Fox and was also passionate about domestic violence prevention.

She was also a training manager at a software company.

“Many will remember her [Claire] for enthusiasm for her work — and for her ability to look good in anything, even a “bacon-patterned fabric”, Claire’s manager, Michelle Paul, told The Washington Post.

Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14

Original URL: https://www.news.com.au/world/north-america/former-pastors-leaves-chilling-message-for-wife-in-family-home-before-killing-daughter-and-himself/news-story/1ac5f74d2311e4a82460f0e7dd4847c2