Addison suicide-murders: Dad left message telling of his distress
Message doesn't cite money woes or marital problems, police chief says
Thomas Mangiantini left a "somewhat distraught" note that offers a clue to why he fatally shot his wife and two sons before killing himself in their Addison home, police said Thursday.
Addison Police Chief Tim Hayden said the one-page, handwritten note discovered by police late Wednesday did not allude to any financial problems or troubles in the Mangiantini marriage, but he would not disclose the actual contents because he had not discussed it with family members. The DuPage County coroner, who performed the autopsies Thursday, said Mangiantini, 48, put a gun in his mouth after shooting his wife, Elizabeth, 46, once in the head. Mangiantini also shot his son Thomas Jr., 8, once in the head, and his other son, Angelo, 12, suffered multiple gunshot wounds in the head.
A preliminary police investigation indicates the family did not have issues with credit card debt or face the possibility of losing their home to foreclosure, Hayden said.
"He didn't mention financial problems in the note," Hayden said, refuting reports that Mangiantini had recently lost his printing job. But police and friends said his hours had been reduced and his wife had been laid off in the spring from Ford Motor Co.
"She had a severance period; following that she could have applied for unemployment. The father was still employed," Hayden said.
DuPage County records showed no filings for separation of marriage or prior domestic contact with police, Hayden said. Two guns were recovered from the scene, both of which police say Mangiantini used. Authorities have not determined to whom the guns were registered, Hayden said. Two shots were heard in the background of the desperate 911 call that Elizabeth Mangiantini made around 6:30 a.m. Wednesday.
"It was just a few short words. It was something to the effect of, 'Please help me. Help me, help me,' " Hayden said.
The boys were found upstairs in their beds in a shared bedroom. Thomas Mangiantini also was found in an upstairs bedroom, and his wife was discovered in a hallway downstairs. Hayden said she had no signs of defensive wounds.
Addison police continued to process the scene Thursday and plan to continue through Saturday, Hayden said, adding, "Something will reveal itself as the investigation moves along."
The family were members of St. Philip the Apostle Catholic Church in Addison, where prayers were offered for them during Thanksgiving Mass, said the Rev. Mark Jendrysik.
"Today, there were a lot of tears being shared before and after Mass," he said.
Jendrysik said the family regularly attended Mass and many church functions. Thomas Jr. and Angelo were in the religious education program.
"Angelo was always very active, involved in the discussions and eager to know more," Jendrysik said. "Tommy wanted to play the part of Jesus, because that's who he wanted to be like."
The deaths weighed heavily on neighbors, with some deciding to move their Thanksgiving meals to other locations, said next-door neighbor Dorothy Savaglio, one who made the change.
"We don't want to have the kids see the crime tape. We're supposed to be thankful today," she said, adding that it would be difficult to explain to children who knew the Mangiantini boys why they won't see their friends at school on Monday.
John Langton, superintendent of Addison School District 4, said Tommy was a second-grader at Fullerton Elementary School, and Angelo was in sixth grade at Indian Trail Junior High School.
Elizabeth Mangiantini was active in the PTA at Fullerton, Langton said.
"I know that once she lost her job, as difficult as that was for the family, I've had a couple people tell me that she was excited to be a stay-at-home mom," he said.
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