Mother believed to be ‘willing participant’ in suspected murder-suicide, B.C. coroner’s inquest hears

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WARNING: This story contains discussion of suicidal ideation and harm to children.

An RCMP investigator told a coroner’s inquest that police believe the mother of two boys found dead alongside her husband in Prince Rupert, B.C., had been a “willing-participant” in what the police force suspects was a murder-suicide.

RCMP Corp. Matthew Blumberg testified on Thursday that the discovery of the scene on June 13, 2023, had a deep impact on him and other investigators, as testimony continued into the deaths of Christopher Duong, Janet Nguyen and their two young boys.

He said the children had teddy bears at their feet, and investigators found a video will recorded by both the parents on their phones.

Blumberg said the nature of Nguyen’s death indicated she had been killed by Duong but there was no sign of a struggle. He said it was not clear who killed the children.

Blumberg said the “last and will and testament” video included information about who Duong and Nguyen wanted as guardians of their children and their “last wishes for their property and children.”

He said an analysis of Duong’s cellphone revealed a variety of searches including “painless ways to kill oneself,” information about how to drop children off at a fire station, as well as several searches for flights. 

He said the video will had been recorded the same day that Duong was detained by police under the Mental Health Act and then released from a Prince Rupert hospital hours later. The family was found dead three days after that.

Blumberg testified that police knew Duong and Nguyen from previous interactions.

The inquest has previously heard that Duong was “well known” to police for his alleged connection to drug trafficking and history of weapons offences. It also heard Duong had suffered a traumatic brain injury in a serious car crash about a year prior to his death.

Police tape blocks off the Prince Rupert home where a family of four were found dead, in this photo from 2023. An inquest into the deaths of the Duong-Nguyen family heard Wednesday that officials suspected the case was one of murder-suicide. (Carolina de Ryk/CBC)

The inquest also heard in the days leading up to the death, Duong believed a “hit” had been put out on him and worried his family may be targeted.

The inquest heard Duong was apprehended by police while driving Nguyen and their children around in an effort to stay mobile and “not be tracked down,” leading to him being taken in under the Mental Health Act.

On Wednesday of this week, Duong’s longtime family doctor testified that in a psychiatric assessment at the hospital prior to release, Duong was “very friendly and calm and co-operative” and he saw no reason to be concerned about his mental state.

But Blumberg said Duong’s father, who had seen the family prior to their death, told police Nguyen and Duong would “amp each other up” and that Duong would “feed her the fear” about the danger to their lives.

Blumberg said Duong’s father told police that in the days between his release from hospital and the deaths, Duong had acted “paranoid” including an instance of taking his children into their parked car and not coming out for several hours. The family was found dead later that same day.

Blumberg testified that the RCMP’s investigative team had determined the deaths had no connection to anyone outside of Duong and Nguyen.

“The evidence on scene did not indicate that there was any outside people involved other than the four decedents located in the crime scene,” he said of the deaths, noting that his team still did “a full investigation to explore all avenues.”

A coroner’s inquest is a non-fault-finding inquiry that aims to determine facts related to a death, make recommendations to prevent similar deaths and to ensure public confidence in the process.

If you or someone you know is struggling, here’s where to look for help:

If you’re worried someone you know may be at risk of suicide, you should talk to them about it, says the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention. Here are some warning signs: 

Suicidal thoughts.Substance use.Purposelessness.Anxiety.Feeling trapped.Hopelessness and helplessness.Withdrawal.