Wednesday, September 06, 2000
Students mourn deceased classmates
Siblings, parents found in burned home
The Associated Press
AVA, Ohio — Students and teachers hugged and cried Tuesday at a school that had been attended by five siblings whose bodies were found in their burned home along with their parents.
The seven were victims of an apparent murder-suicide, authorities said.
Grief-stricken students at Shenandoah Elementary were allowed to leave class if needed and teachers had a morning meeting to discuss getting everyone through a difficult day, said Noble Local Schools Superintendent Jerry Russell.
“The mood is pretty quiet, pretty solemn,” Mr. Russell said. “Some of the kids, some of the staff that had become acquainted with them, had wet eyes. ... There's a lot of sadness over this.”
The bodies of Richard Pangle, 37, his wife, Sheryl, 29, and their five children were found Monday in their burned trailer.
Noble County Sheriff Landon T. Smith said four guns and spent shells were found in the living room near the bodies of the parents and their eldest daughter, Kayla, 12. The bodies of 5-year-old twins, Trina and Trinda, and their brothers, Brett, 10, and Derek, 7, were found in two bedrooms.
Preliminary autopsy results showed the twins died of single gunshot wounds, Mr. Smith said. Preliminary autopsy results of the others were pending.
Mr. Smith would not say who likely was responsible for the deaths. Relatives and friends were being interviewed, he said.
The parents were reportedly discussing a divorce, he said. Sheriffs authorities had never received calls of domestic violence at the home, Mr. Smith said.
“We're trying to see what went on with this family the past few days to see whether there were any changes in their lifestyle, anything that would give as an indication that led to that tragedy,” he said Tuesday.
Mr. Smith said a .25-caliber semiautomatic pistol, a 12-gauge shotgun and three .22-caliber rifles were found in the home along with spent shells. The guns weren't registered but belonged to Richard Pangle, he said.
The fire was deliberately set with accelerant that has not been identified, Mr. Smith said.
Mr. Russell said the Pangles' five children were well thought of.
Kayla was an “A” student and member of the seventh-grade volleyball team, he said. Brothers Brett, 10, a sixth-grader, and Derek, 7, a second-grader, were active in sports.
Trina and Trinda had attended three days of kindergarten.
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