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Catherine Fontaine, 4 and Julia Fontaine, 2 (Courtesy John York) |
SAN CLEMENTE -- Orange County sheriff's investigators believe a grandmother carried out the murder-suicide in San Clemente that claimed the lives of herself, her daughter and two young granddaughters.
Elizabeth Fontaine, 38, her daughters Catherine Fontaine, 4, and Julia Fontaine, 2, and their grandmother Bonnie Hoult, 67, were found dead Monday afternoon in a rented home where they were staying in a gated community in the upscale Talega community, said Jim Amormino, a spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff's Department.
Amormino said a gun-residue test was inconclusive because Bonnie Hoult and Elizabeth Fontaine died next to one another and the gunpowder residue was found on the hands of both. However. it's believed that the grandmother likely pulled the trigger.
Amormino says that a deputy sheriff arrived at the home just moments before the gunshots were fired to do a welfare check. He says that Hoult was outside with her 4 year old granddaughter when she saw the deputy and walked briskly in the house. Within seconds, the deputy heard gunshots inside the home.
An unidentified sheriff's homicide investigator told the OC Register what investigators believe happened.
About 1:30 p.m. Monday, Hoult was outside the home on Calle Sonador, holding Catherine. She was standing next to a black Lexus SUV registered to her daughter in front of the house when a female deputy pulled up.
Hoult, apparently thinking the deputy was coming to take away the children, bolted into the house through the open garage door. She slammed it and locked the doors to the house.
Based on what investigators have been able to piece together, they believe that seconds later, while the deputy was standing outside, Hoult - gun in hand - walked up to Elizabeth Fontaine, who was cradling Julia in her arms.
Hoult put the muzzle in the toddler Julia's mouth and fired once.
Fontaine then opened her mouth, and Hoult shot her.
The grandmother and former schoolteacher then grabbed Catherine and shot her in the mouth.
All four bodies were found intertwined, just beyond a front door decorated with a Christmas wreath.
The children's bags had been packed and were sitting at the bottom of the stairs.
The gun belonged to Hoult, a retired psychologist, who stayed home with the children while their mother attended a custody hearing.
Earlier that day, Orange County Superior Court Commissioner Thomas H. Schulte had indicated he would likely grant temporary custody to Fontaine's sister-in-law and ordered Fontaine to return to court with her daughters in the afternoon for a final ruling, said John York, an attorney for the children's father, Jason Fontaine.
When Elizabeth Fontaine failed to show up, York and the children's father realized there was a 3:30 p.m. flight from John Wayne Airport to Houston and notified the judge, York said.
Schulte issued a final order granting temporary custody to the paternal aunt and told the aunt to drive to the airport and contact deputies at the sheriff's substation there, York said.
Minutes from the hearing confirm that Schulte gave the sister-in-law custody and gave her the authority to contact sheriff's deputies to help keep the children off the flight.
The family never went to the airport, however. The bodies were found shortly after 1:30 p.m., the hour they were all due back in court.
Elizabeth Fontaine, 38, her daughters Catherine Fontaine, 4, and Julia Fontaine, 2, and their grandmother Bonnie Hoult, 67, were found dead Monday afternoon in a rented home where they were staying in a gated community in the upscale Talega community, said Jim Amormino, a spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff's Department.
Amormino said a gun-residue test was inconclusive because Bonnie Hoult and Elizabeth Fontaine died next to one another and the gunpowder residue was found on the hands of both. However. it's believed that the grandmother likely pulled the trigger.
Amormino says that a deputy sheriff arrived at the home just moments before the gunshots were fired to do a welfare check. He says that Hoult was outside with her 4 year old granddaughter when she saw the deputy and walked briskly in the house. Within seconds, the deputy heard gunshots inside the home.
An unidentified sheriff's homicide investigator told the OC Register what investigators believe happened.
About 1:30 p.m. Monday, Hoult was outside the home on Calle Sonador, holding Catherine. She was standing next to a black Lexus SUV registered to her daughter in front of the house when a female deputy pulled up.
Hoult, apparently thinking the deputy was coming to take away the children, bolted into the house through the open garage door. She slammed it and locked the doors to the house.
Based on what investigators have been able to piece together, they believe that seconds later, while the deputy was standing outside, Hoult - gun in hand - walked up to Elizabeth Fontaine, who was cradling Julia in her arms.
Hoult put the muzzle in the toddler Julia's mouth and fired once.
Fontaine then opened her mouth, and Hoult shot her.
The grandmother and former schoolteacher then grabbed Catherine and shot her in the mouth.
All four bodies were found intertwined, just beyond a front door decorated with a Christmas wreath.
The children's bags had been packed and were sitting at the bottom of the stairs.
The gun belonged to Hoult, a retired psychologist, who stayed home with the children while their mother attended a custody hearing.
Earlier that day, Orange County Superior Court Commissioner Thomas H. Schulte had indicated he would likely grant temporary custody to Fontaine's sister-in-law and ordered Fontaine to return to court with her daughters in the afternoon for a final ruling, said John York, an attorney for the children's father, Jason Fontaine.
When Elizabeth Fontaine failed to show up, York and the children's father realized there was a 3:30 p.m. flight from John Wayne Airport to Houston and notified the judge, York said.
Schulte issued a final order granting temporary custody to the paternal aunt and told the aunt to drive to the airport and contact deputies at the sheriff's substation there, York said.
Minutes from the hearing confirm that Schulte gave the sister-in-law custody and gave her the authority to contact sheriff's deputies to help keep the children off the flight.
The family never went to the airport, however. The bodies were found shortly after 1:30 p.m., the hour they were all due back in court.
