Scorned wife kills herself, two kids and husband's new girlfriend
WARNING - DISTURBING CONTENT: A scorned wife stole a gun from her parents to fatally shoot her two children, another woman and herself to create "everlasting consequences for her husband".
The first step of Jessica Edens' murderous plan was to steal a .40-calibre handgun from her parents' South Carolina home the day before the shooting while they were out of town.
Edens then drove to a Greenville apartment complex where her estranged husband, Benjamin Edens lived.
After making her way inside she shot and killed 28-year-old Meredith Rahme, a woman she suspected was dating her estranged husband.
Edens fled the scene as distraught neighbours discovered Rahme's body inside her car parked in the garage.
She then made one phone call to her estranged husband before she shot nine-year-old Hayden King and five-year-old Harper Edens in the back of her Jeep and again just before she took her own life.
Authorities say a custody dispute in family court a few days earlier upset Edens badly.
"Mrs Edens developed a plan in the next couple of days that she felt would cause everlasting consequences for her husband, Benjamin Edens," Pickens County Sheriff's Office spokesman Creed Hashe said.
The details of those calls were not released, but just after the shooting, the police chief said officers were with someone who had talked to the killer and were working as quickly as they could to find the mobile phone's location and children who were "in harm's way."
Edens and her children were all killed with one gunshot to the head, Hashe said.
Both Rahme and Benjamin Edens called police in the days before the shooting. Rahme complained Jessica Edens was leaving harassing messages about her on Facebook, while Benjamin Edens asked officers to check on his estranged wife and children.
The officer who checked on the family said all appeared normal and Jessica Edens said she planned on watching movies with the children, according to a police report.
Edens is the third mother to kill her children in Pickens County in the past six years. Susan Hendricks is serving life in prison for killing her two adult sons, her ex-husband and her stepmother in 2011, while Suzanna Simpson is serving a life sentence for killing her 7-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son as they slept and shooting her husband in the head. He survived.
Rick Clark, who is sheriff of the county of about 120,000 people, urged anyone who felt they were being buried by stress to reach out to law enforcement and not harm others.
"All of us need a helping hand from time to time as we walk through life and asking for help is not a sign of weakness that any of us should be ashamed of," Clark said in a statement.
If you are concerned about the mental health of yourself or a loved one, seek support and information by calling Lifeline 13 11 14, Mensline 1300 789 978, or Kids Helpline 1800 551 800
