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A Montana man who killed eight of his relatives, including four children, during a Sunday dinner at a home in Montana had been asked by his parents weeks earlier to move out of the property, according to a family member.

Brad Ireland told The Associated Press that his former wife and two children were among those killed by Alan Smith, 44, in a homicide that the Billings Police Department called an "unimaginable tragedy." Investigators said Smith died after suffering a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The victims were identified by the AP as Ireland’s ex-wife, Megan Ghekiere, and their two children, Owen Ireland, 13, and Chloe Ireland, 7. Also killed were Ghekiere’s two stepchildren with her current husband: Landon Ghekiere, 15, and Charlotte Ghekiere, 12, as well as Smith’s parents, Dana and Barb, and his grandmother Evelyn.

"The one thing we do know is that Charlotte was the hero," Jennifer Mercer, a neighbor and family friend who set up an online fundraiser to help cover funeral costs and other expenses, said to the news agency. "Charlotte called 911 and she tried to save her family. And that’s something the family does want out there."

The Billings Police Department said it responded to a 911 call of an active shooting at 6:01 p.m. Sunday and heard shots fired from the back of the house. Minutes later, the property was fully engulfed in flames.

Firefighters ultimately fought the blaze until around 1 a.m. Monday, according to Billings Fire Department Chief Matt Hoppel. The home is in a subdivision outside of city limits that’s not required to have fire hydrants.

"Due to the condition and structural integrity of the residence, recovery and investigative efforts must be conducted carefully and methodically," the Billings Police Department said Tuesday, adding that, "we extend our sincere and heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones affected by this unimaginable tragedy."

Mercer described the family as "very loving and close," and said the children all got along and that their parents remained amicable even after divorcing.

The Smith family was originally from the Seattle area. Ireland said that after he and Megan Ghekiere divorced six years ago, she moved to Montana with their children and met the man who would become her second husband, Adam Ghekiere, who was working and not at the home when the shooting occurred.

She and Alan’s parents, Dana and Barb Smith, soon followed, buying a house in Billings near their daughter’s home. Evelyn Smith, their grandmother, lived in a nearby retirement community, Ireland said.

Alan Smith, who also moved in with his parents in Montana, was described by Ireland as a "hermit" who spent most of his days in his room on his computer.

"No one knew what he did in there 24/7," he said.

Smith’s parents had asked Alan to move out weeks ago after he stayed with them for years, Ireland told the AP.

Alan Smith had attended Eastern Washington University but had been unable to find or hold a job, the AP reported. Ireland told the news agency that to his knowledge, Alan Smith had never been violent, though he could be verbally abusive.

Adam Ghekiere, who works at the airport in Billings, told the AP that he heard over a dispatch radio about an active shooting. After calling each member of his family, he raced across town to the Smith home.

When he got there, the house was ablaze, and two hours later, he learned his wife and children had been killed. His children weren't supposed to be there because family dinner was usually on Friday, he said.

"I don’t think he expected my kids to be there," Ghekiere said, referring to his brother-in-law. "Monster isn’t even enough to describe what he did."

A GoFundMe page said Adam Ghekiere’s 15-year-old son Landon, who was set to enter his sophomore year of high school, was "looking forward to getting his driver’s license this week and was a patient, protective, and loving big brother."

"Charlotte was 12 and preparing to begin seventh grade. Funny, precocious, and adorable -- with just the right amount of stubborn -- Charlotte had an angelic smile and loved posing for pictures," it added.

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DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston announces a conviction by guilty plea in the case against a Decatur woman charged with murdering her special needs daughter by abandoning her in a closet.

On Wednesday, April 23, Alondra Hobbs, 29, entered a non-negotiated guilty plea to charges of Malice Murder, two counts of Felony Murder, and two counts of Cruelty to Children in the First Degree, stemming from the discovery of her seven-year-old daughter Alivia Jordan’s remains on June 25, 2023.

According to the investigation, officers with the DeKalb County Police Department responded to an apartment complex on Misty Waters Drive in unincorporated Decatur after an anonymous 911 caller reported seeing a dead child inside a closet in one of the units. When officers arrived, they found a little girl’s mummified body strapped in a stroller in a bedroom closet.

Through their investigation, police learned Defendant Hobbs had moved out of the apartment months earlier. During a police interview, Defendant Hobbs admitted she put her daughter Alivia in the closet, confined to a stroller before leaving the seven-year-old alone in the apartment. Hobbs said her daughter was alive when she left, but that she abandoned her because her life was “too much.” Defendant Hobbs said Alivia was autistic and medical records showed Alivia suffered from seizures related to cerebral palsy.

Immediately following Hobbs’ guilty plea, DeKalb County Superior Court Judge LaTisha Dear Jackson, who presided over the hearing, sentenced Defendant Hobbs to Life Without the Possibility of Parole.

“Alivia Jordan did not deserve the slow, painful, and lonely death she suffered at the hands of her mother. I extend my deepest condolences to her family and I hope that they take some comfort in knowing Alondra Hobbs is being held accountable for her actions. I want parents to know that abandoning a child is never the right choice and help is available for those who are struggling. We encourage families to visit FindHelpGA.org to connect with local resources.” said DA Boston.

The case, assigned to the Special Victims Unit, was prosecuted by Chief Assistant District Attorney Edward Chase with assistance from Senior Assistant District Attorney Jasmine Reese, District Attorney Investigator Rosalyn Byrd and Supervising Victim Advocate Yuzellie Garcia. DeKalb County Police Department Det. Heavner led the initial investigation.

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My wife (32) and I (30M) both use reddit, so throwaway, and I'm changing some of the details. Wife, if you still recognize this as being about you, know that I'm just doing this because I'm confused and need outside perspective. I love you.

My wife never really had an urge to have children - I did. She knew it was important to me to have children of my own, and I think because of that, she agreed to have kids. It's not that she was outrightly opposed to it - in her words "I could do with or without". So, naturally, a couple of years after marriage, we had children.

Now, ever since our daughter was born, my wife has had a very... hands off approach to raising and caring for the kids. Almost everything from changing their diaper, to feeding them, to playing with them, to teaching them about right from wrong, to cleaning after them, have either been done by me, or by our nanny (when I'm away due to work).

I work as a freelance health and safety inspector for commercial buildings and nursing homes, stuff like that. Just to make sure they comply with legislation and laws, and advise how they can better change. Because of this, I have a lot of time at home, compiling reports, so I have a lot of time with the children. My wife is a writer, and also works from home, and writes almost every day. Despite this, she barely lifts a finger to care for the children, or even interact with them.

I remember so many instances where she has outrightly avoided contact with the children. One such instance was when Daughter was about 3 or 4, and she walked up to Wife and handed her a toy and smiled at her. Wife looked down at the toy, didn't make eye contact with Daughter, got up and walked away.

She doesn't even ask if the kids are okay, or fed, or in bed, or anything. When the nanny is round and she is looking for direction or advice, she always phones me, because wife tells her that she's busy...

So this went on for years. Which I don't mind much, because I love the kids, and I love taking care of them. But then when Daughter reached the age of 5, I remember the discussion which pretty much changed everything between us.

Daughter was eating at the table, and we were talking about some stuff (school stuff, I think). Then she starts telling me about how her friend's mum is really funny, and she always jokes around with them when she picks her up. Then she asks Wife, "Why do you never pick me up from school?"

Wife said that she was busy.

And daughter says "all the time?"

Then wife said 'yes', got up and left the room.

After taking care of the kids and putting them to bed, I cracked open a bottle of wine and talked to my wife. I told her all the above, and told her I was fine if she didn't want to take care of the children, but she had to at least show her love. Then she said that she never really felt like she loved them in the first place.

This was a blow for me. We talked more about this, and she basically said that she never really felt connected to them, and that they were more of just lodgers here than anything else.

This was all surprisingly calm of her. You must understand that my wife isn't an unemotional person, nor is she a bitch. She's a very funny, interesting person, who has shown a lot of care and love for me and her family.

So I said we should go to counselling, which she agreed to. We went as a couple. This went on for months, and the counselor was really really good. We learned a lot about each other. The one thing which really struck me though, was my wife's "realisation" that she "dislikes" the children.

She didn't that she couldn't bear to be around them, but she said she didn't feel any affection for them.

It seems this won't change.

So...... what do I do? She still brings in money, is still loving to me, doesn't harm the kids (unless you count a large degree of apathy as harm). (Yes it is harm because their parents are supposed to love them and she treats them like pests. It's not physically harmful, but mark my words, it's fucking the kids up mentally."

Should I just move forward, knowing that she doesn't like the children?

I still love everyone. Maybe that's enough.

Hmmmm.

?

---

EDIT: Oh, I forgot to mention about the kids and their well being. Since we started going counselling, I have also made sure to pay special attention to how the kids are doing due to the disconnect with their Mother. It's a bit sad, but it seems they understand that maybe Mum is just "that type of person".

I remember telling them that it's sad, but not everyone in the world is going to be their friend, but I'll be their best friend, if they'll have me. And my daughter liked that.

My son, however, didn't understand, and just said he would give Mum ice cream to make her a friend. Cute. (No it's not "cute." Your kid is trying to buy his mum's affection. Fuck you.)

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Ok, buckle up, this is a doozy!

I work for a pet/house sitting company and had a new client on my schedule for three visits a day for two weeks to take care of a dog.

When I get to the house and go in I see a kid and thought they must be running late leaving and didn't let us know, so I said hi to the kid and said it's ok don't be scared, then called out for the parents.

The kid said they're gone. I asked what do you mean? The kid then said I needed to hurry up and make her breakfast and take her to school. I asked again, what do you mean, where are your parents? She said they're gone on their trip and again told me to hurry up cause she's hungry. I asked how old she is, she said seven.

I asked they left you here alone? She said yeah, her mom told her we'd be by in the morning to make her breakfast and take her to school, in the afternoon to pick her up from school and make her a snack, and at night to make her supper. I asked where's Macy (made up name) the dog? She said they don't have a dog. I said when the owner came for the client meeting and to get the house keys she met a dog. The kid said her mom borrowed the neighbors dog.

OMG. I called the company owner and told her what was going on, of course she was flabbergasted and came over immediately. She tried to get ahold of the kids parents but they weren't answering their phones so she called CPS and explained everything when they got there. CPS took the kid, the parents info, and left.

The next day the kid's mom called the owner and left a rambling message, screaming about how could we turn her kid in to CPS and we broke the contract so they were going to sue her for that and also for the cost of their ruined vacation. The owner called them back and told them our agreement was to take care of a dog not a kid, and that was illegal anyway, and also borrowing a dog for her to meet for the client meeting was deliberate misrepresentation, so good luck with a lawsuit.

She hasn't heard from them since. I guess our pet sitting service was cheaper than hiring someone to watch the child properly. We still can't understand how this woman thought this would actually work.

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Inside News
A stray puppy tormented by children and left for dead, according to a rescue organization, has made a miraculous recovery. The dog named Pascal was brought to a charity clinic in critical condition after the 4-month-old dog had been covered in industrial glue and dragged through dirt. Damage from the glue left the organization with no choice but to shave his fur, revealing red, almost raw skin underneath. InsideEdition.com's Keleigh Nealon ( / keleighnealon ) has more.