CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. – A Chesterfield father shot and killed his wife, son and step-daughter before killing himself, Chesterfield Police said. Investigators identified the victims in Sunday’s triple-murder suicide as:
Renotta I. Jernigan, age 30
Seth Jernigan, age two
Alexis F. Kellas, age nine
Barry C. Jernigan, 35, was also found dead inside the family’s Fox Maple Terrace home, in the McCormick Woods subdivision.
Renotta Jernigan and her two children were killed eight days after she told her husband, Barry “Chris” Jernigan, she wanted a divorce.
Renotta’s friend, Courtney Winn, told WTVR Renotta was upset by her husband’s inability to keep a job.
On Father’s Day, Chris sent out a goodbye via his work email that read, “God give me the strength to do this.” His last Facebook post was, “Just pray for my kids they understand.”
Chris reportedly sent a text to Courtney that read, “Hating her is the only way I can breathe on my own. I guess I can say is that I love to hate her and hate loving her” WTVR reports.
Courtney reported the disturbing message to Renotta, but it was too late. Several friends mobilized to intervene after seeing Chris’ disturbing texts, emails and Facebook posts.
