A father shot his 4-year-old son to death before killing himself just hours after the boy’s mother petitioned for an emergency order to have police remove the child from the man’s condo. The petition was later denied by a judge.
John Stacey shot and killed his son, Greyson Martin Kessler, before turning the gun on himself on Thursday night, May 20, inside his unit at the Las Olas by the River condos in Florida.
Fort Lauderdale police on Monday confirmed the death to be a domestic-related murder-suicide.
The boy’s mother, Ali Kessler, had filed an emergency order on Friday, asking the authorities to remove the child from his father’s care because she believed that his life was in immediate danger.
Kessler submitted a domestic violence injunction for a restraining order, after she received threatening text messages from Stacey.
"Mr. Stacey was a previous member of the cult, the Moonies, about five years. Upon being released, he has not received treatment or therapy to address his PTSD from the cult, or anger he has for me having his child. His behavior is erratic and escalating and I fear for my life, my boyfriend’s life, and most of all my child," Kessler said in the petition.
She submitted a 234 page PDF file including the threatening messages that Stacey had sent her.
"You deserve to have your head separated from body, and deserve to die. But I am not the violent type. God will deal with you," one of the messages read.
According to Kessler's attorney, Stacey picked up Greyson on Wednesday. On Friday, the police found the boy and his father dead inside Stacey’s condo. Investigators believe the two died sometime Thursday.
The murder-suicide took place just hours before a judge denied the protection order, according to court documents provided to CBS4 News.
If the injunction had been granted, the boy would have remained in his mother’s care and the restraining order would have been in place for both Kessler and Greyson.
"Greyson’s mother, Alison Kessler, did everything she could to keep her child safe from harm. We feel that the system failed us at every level, from her attorney to the police department, to the court system," a representative for the family said in a statement released on their behalf.
"There were many red flags exhibited by John Stacey that were never acted upon, even though Alison reported his bizarre and threatening behavior and went through all the proper channels. This tragedy could have been prevented if proper action had been taken to help Alison and Greyson."
"Greyson was the light of our lives, and the world is darker without him in it," the statement read.
On Monday afternoon, the 17th Judicial Circuit released a statement after CBS4 News requested for a comment.
"The 17th Judicial Circuit is aware of the tragic situation reported in the news over the weekend. Judges are prohibited from commenting on pending proceedings and cannot discuss the specifics of any orders. It cannot be stressed enough that if someone has reason to believe a child or any other person is in danger, they should call law enforcement – in all instances. We extend to the family and mother of this horrific event our deepest condolences," the statement read.
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