'A horrible, tragic loss': RCMP confirm murder-suicide of Spruce Grove father and young boys
RCMP say an autopsy confirmed the cause of their deaths, but the information will not be released
Ryder, left, and Radek MacDougall were found dead, along
with their father, Corry MacDougall, in a Spruce Grove, Alta., home on
Monday. (Submitted by Kathy Kovacs)
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RCMP have confirmed that two young boys died at the hands of
their father in Spruce Grove, Alta., in an "atrocious" murder-suicide.
The bodies of Radek and Ryder MacDougall — 11 and 13 years old, respectively — and their father, Corry MacDougall, 39, were found in a home on Monday by their mother and stepfather, who had arrived to take the boys to Whitecourt, Alta., for the holidays.
"The autopsy was concluded today and we can confirm this was deemed to be a double homicide-suicide," Sgt. Jack Poitras said Tuesday evening.
"It's a horrible, tragic loss to Spruce Grove. Our hearts and prayers go out to the family. This is just atrocious."
Poitras said the autopsy confirmed the cause of death for the father and the two boys, but that the information will not be released.
As the community of Spruce Grove struggles to deal with the tragedy, a relative described MacDougall as a kind and doting father and said the family might never know why he killed his sons.
Delores MacDougall said her nephew loved his boys and was a devoted father who drove them around for hockey.
The boys' stepfather, Brent Stark, told CBC News that he and the boys' mother, Tracy, arrived Monday at 2 Haney Court in the Hilldowns neighbourhood of Spruce Grove to pick up the boys to take them to Whitecourt for the Christmas holidays.
"You go knock on a door and you see the legs of one of your boys laying on the ground, things don't go too well from there," Stark said.
Stark described the boys as "great kids."
"Big hearts, that's all you can say. They're on top of the world and some f--king coward took it from them."
Ross, who now goes by Stark, filed for divorce in 2009, and dozens of
documents filed in court show the couple had differing views on money
and child support.
In 2011, Ross asked the courts to restrict MacDougall's access to the boys to weekends only, stating she was "greatly concerned" over the father's plan to move out of Whitecourt and his "vagueness and unwillingness to be candid" about his plans to move.
In 2013, MacDougall said his business — Cemac Compression and Combustion — was losing money and that his child care payments should be reduced.
By 2015, MacDougall was getting the boys on alternating weekends.
Counsellors and a trauma response team are helping staff and students at Greystone Centennial Middle School in Spruce Grove. The boys had attended the school since September. Radek was in Grade 6 and Ryder was in Grade 8.
"Our hearts go out to the family and we do know it's just extremely difficult times for everybody," said Eric Cameron, board chair for the Parkland School Division.
A letter to parents and students on the school's website said the boys enjoyed playing minor hockey and were active in the community.
The 11-year-old was disappointed the concession wasn't open. He wanted to buy Dubble Bubble gum to share with teammates.
Radek gave no indication there were problems at home with his father, Ardron said.
His brother played that night with the bantam AA Timberwolves. Coach Dallas Ansell said Ryder, a quiet and loyal defenceman, had improved over the season and was coming out of his shell. The boys' father sat quietly at Ryder's last game, Ansell said.
The two coaches and other hockey officials, along with a pastor and a chaplain, gathered with players in an arena room Monday after learning the boys had been killed.
"It's OK to cry" and "it's OK to not be OK," Ansell said he told the young players.
A candlelight vigil in memory of the MacDougall boys is planned for Tuesday night in Whitecourt. Another vigil will be held in Spruce Grove Thursday evening at the Grant Fuhr Arena.
The coaches said stickers with the brothers' hockey numbers — 8 for Radek, 3 for Ryder — will be worn on their teammates' helmets for the rest of the season. Signed jerseys will also be given to the boys' mother.
A growing memorial outside the home where the boys were found dead includes hockey sticks, teddy bears and notes for the family.
Some of Ryder's teammates — Adam Berthiaume, Jake Moger and Hayden Rake — arrived at the home on Tuesday to pay their respects at the memorial.
They described him as someone who loved his family, and treated his friends and teammates as if they were family, too.
The boys laughed about how during their last game with Ryder, he got a penalty for shooting the puck down the ice after they were scored on.
They left their hockey sticks at the memorial in his memory.
"I just want him to know that we all love him. I'll see you someday," Hayden said through tears.
He said his two sons, age 13 and 9, knew Radek and Ryder through playing hockey together.
Nome's oldest son, Spencer, would walk to school with Ryder every day, Nome said. He'd been giving the boys rides to school lately because of the cold weather.
He described Ryder as a quiet boy.
"Just a typical 13-year-old boy, basically," he said. "They're hanging out in the basement, playing video games and shooting pucks in the backyard. Just doing things that 13-year-old boys do."
Nome said he's having a hard time explaining to his sons what happened to their neighbours.
"It's too close to home," he said. "It just makes you think as a father, like, it's just hard to imagine losing your two boys."
With files from The Canadian Press
The bodies of Radek and Ryder MacDougall — 11 and 13 years old, respectively — and their father, Corry MacDougall, 39, were found in a home on Monday by their mother and stepfather, who had arrived to take the boys to Whitecourt, Alta., for the holidays.
"The autopsy was concluded today and we can confirm this was deemed to be a double homicide-suicide," Sgt. Jack Poitras said Tuesday evening.
"It's a horrible, tragic loss to Spruce Grove. Our hearts and prayers go out to the family. This is just atrocious."
Poitras said the autopsy confirmed the cause of death for the father and the two boys, but that the information will not be released.
As the community of Spruce Grove struggles to deal with the tragedy, a relative described MacDougall as a kind and doting father and said the family might never know why he killed his sons.
Delores MacDougall said her nephew loved his boys and was a devoted father who drove them around for hockey.
'They're on top of the world and some f--king coward took it from them.' - Brent Stark, stepfather of Radek and Ryder MacDougall"I don't know what happened, but that wasn't him," she said. "He loved those kids. That was his life. Corry was a good father, and what went wrong, I guess, we'll never know."
The boys' stepfather, Brent Stark, told CBC News that he and the boys' mother, Tracy, arrived Monday at 2 Haney Court in the Hilldowns neighbourhood of Spruce Grove to pick up the boys to take them to Whitecourt for the Christmas holidays.
"You go knock on a door and you see the legs of one of your boys laying on the ground, things don't go too well from there," Stark said.
Stark described the boys as "great kids."
"Big hearts, that's all you can say. They're on top of the world and some f--king coward took it from them."
Mother filed for divorce in 2009
Court documents show Tracy Ross and Corry MacDougall were married in Whitecourt in 2004. The couple stopped living together in 2007 but maintained joint custody of their sons, Radek and Ryder.
Radek and Ryder with their father, Corry MacDougall. (Facebook)
Radek MacDougall is seen with his mother, Tracy Stark. (Submitted by Kathy Kovacs)
In 2011, Ross asked the courts to restrict MacDougall's access to the boys to weekends only, stating she was "greatly concerned" over the father's plan to move out of Whitecourt and his "vagueness and unwillingness to be candid" about his plans to move.
In 2013, MacDougall said his business — Cemac Compression and Combustion — was losing money and that his child care payments should be reduced.
By 2015, MacDougall was getting the boys on alternating weekends.
Counsellors and a trauma response team are helping staff and students at Greystone Centennial Middle School in Spruce Grove. The boys had attended the school since September. Radek was in Grade 6 and Ryder was in Grade 8.
"Our hearts go out to the family and we do know it's just extremely difficult times for everybody," said Eric Cameron, board chair for the Parkland School Division.
A letter to parents and students on the school's website said the boys enjoyed playing minor hockey and were active in the community.
'OK to cry,' coaches tell boys' hockey teams
Radek was skating with the Spruce Grove Sabertooths peewee team early Sunday, said his coach, Brendan Ardron.The 11-year-old was disappointed the concession wasn't open. He wanted to buy Dubble Bubble gum to share with teammates.
Radek gave no indication there were problems at home with his father, Ardron said.
His brother played that night with the bantam AA Timberwolves. Coach Dallas Ansell said Ryder, a quiet and loyal defenceman, had improved over the season and was coming out of his shell. The boys' father sat quietly at Ryder's last game, Ansell said.
The two coaches and other hockey officials, along with a pastor and a chaplain, gathered with players in an arena room Monday after learning the boys had been killed.
"It's OK to cry" and "it's OK to not be OK," Ansell said he told the young players.
A candlelight vigil in memory of the MacDougall boys is planned for Tuesday night in Whitecourt. Another vigil will be held in Spruce Grove Thursday evening at the Grant Fuhr Arena.
The coaches said stickers with the brothers' hockey numbers — 8 for Radek, 3 for Ryder — will be worn on their teammates' helmets for the rest of the season. Signed jerseys will also be given to the boys' mother.
Hayden Rake stands in front of the home where his friend and teammate, Ryder MacDougall, was found dead on Monday. (CBC)
Some of Ryder's teammates — Adam Berthiaume, Jake Moger and Hayden Rake — arrived at the home on Tuesday to pay their respects at the memorial.
They described him as someone who loved his family, and treated his friends and teammates as if they were family, too.
The boys laughed about how during their last game with Ryder, he got a penalty for shooting the puck down the ice after they were scored on.
They left their hockey sticks at the memorial in his memory.
"I just want him to know that we all love him. I'll see you someday," Hayden said through tears.
'I just want him to know that we all love him. I'll see you someday.' - Hayden Rake, Ryder MacDougall's hockey teammateJarl Nome lives near the home where the boys and their father were found dead.
He said his two sons, age 13 and 9, knew Radek and Ryder through playing hockey together.
Nome's oldest son, Spencer, would walk to school with Ryder every day, Nome said. He'd been giving the boys rides to school lately because of the cold weather.
He described Ryder as a quiet boy.
"Just a typical 13-year-old boy, basically," he said. "They're hanging out in the basement, playing video games and shooting pucks in the backyard. Just doing things that 13-year-old boys do."
Nome said he's having a hard time explaining to his sons what happened to their neighbours.
"It's too close to home," he said. "It just makes you think as a father, like, it's just hard to imagine losing your two boys."
Neighbours pay their respects at a memorial
in front of the home where the boys and their father were found dead on
Monday in a murder-suicide. (Andrea Huncar/CBC)
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