CALGARY — Alison Lall fought to protect her two young daughters as her husband, Joshua Lall, went on a murderous rampage armed with a knife, police revealed on Friday.
After killing his wife, two daughters and a female tenant, Mr. Lall then went into the nursery containing his one-year-old daughter Anna where he stabbed himself to death.
Anna was found the next day crying in her crib.
“Based on the evidence at hand, it is our belief that Joshua Lall is responsible for this incident,” said Calgary police Inspector Guy Slater at a press conference on Friday.
Insp. Slater said it was premature to say if a mental breakdown triggered the killings, although it has been reported that Mr. Lall was hearing voices in his head and believed he was possessed by the devil.
Police said it was believed the killings took place on Tuesday evening with Amber Bowerman, a basement apartment tenant, being attacked first.
“It appears the basement tenant, Amber, was the first to die, followed by Alison and the two girls. Every indication is that Alison fought to protect her children. Joshua later took his life,” said Insp. Slater.
Defensive wounds on Ms. Lall indicate she fought back. But as for the basement tenant, Insp. Slater said: “There is nothing to indicate that Amber could have done anything in her situation. It was a surprise attack.”
Ms. Lall, 35, along with her daughters Kristen, aged five, and Rochelle, aged three, were found in the Lalls’ master bedroom on the upper floor of their home.
Ms. Lall’s mother, Sheila Fraser, described her daughter as completely devoted to her three young daughters.
“It’s just a tremendous loss,” Ms. Fraser said. “She was an absolutely beautiful human being who did everything and did it very well.”
Mr. Lall, aged 34, was found dead on the floor — again a result of multiple stab wounds — in the room where the sole survivor of the attack was located the next day. She appeared to have been left untouched, Insp. Slater said.
While police do not have a perfect timeline, they have concluded that the murder-suicide took place Tuesday night. “For all intents and purposes, we believe the evening was like any other evening,” Insp. Slater said.
Mr. Lall, an intern architect at Calgary’s Cohos Evamy, called in sick Monday, and on Tuesday he asked for the rest of the week off. Ms. Lall was a stay-at-home-mom. Ms. Bowerman, a journalist, was at a conference in Lake Louise Tuesday, and returned that evening.
Police assume Ms. Lall and the children were home when Ms. Bowerman was killed. While Insp. Slater said there was nothing she could do to defend herself, she was awake when attacked. The police have found nothing to indicate there were previous conflicts in the house.
The news of the killings and Mr. Lall’s possible mental distress have startled friends and family members who knew him as a doting father and a high-achiever.
He was a high-school valedictorian, track star and volunteer fundraiser for his local community association.
A close friend detected some anxiety from Mr. Lall during a visit a few weeks ago, but said it did not 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.”
Mr. Lall also called his parents earlier this week and told his father that he had a “mental breakdown or something,” according to one news report.
However, Insp. Slater said it was too early to say what sparked Mr. Lall’s killing spree.
“I can’t say whether or not Joshua had mental health problems,” he said. “That is up to the medical experts to conclude.”
Police are still awaiting toxicology results for Mr. Lall, although Insp. Slater said there was no hint that he was intoxicated at the time. Further, the police were not aware of any anecdotal evidence that would suggest Mr. Lall was taking any medication.
As for motive, the police are left without an answer.
“I can’t even speculate on that,” Insp. Slater said. “The only person who knows that is Joshua himself.”
National Post, with files from Canwest News Service
