Days after police found a family of four dead in their Harrow home, more is being learned about the parents and their two children as people in the southwestern Ontario town continue to mourn and honour them.
The deaths came to light Thursday afternoon after Essex County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) responded to the home on County Road 13. Police held a news conference on Friday, acknowledging the “unimaginable tragedy,” but released little information. They also said there was no threat to public safety.
As of Monday afternoon, they hadn’t provided any names or details about the circumstances of their deaths.
On the weekend, at a vigil, community members mourned the loss of the family and identified them as Carly and Steve Walsh, their daughter Madison, 13, and son, Hunter, 8.
Harrow, near Lake Erie, is about a 45-minute drive south of Windsor.
Carly’s uncle, Glenn Stannard, a former Windsor police chief who attended the vigil, expressed the extended family’s gratitude to the community and thanked investigators.
“The weeks ahead are going to be extremely difficult,” Stannard told the crowd.
The family lived at 1200 County Road 13. According to real estate records, Carly and Steve Walsh bought the property in 2009.
The Walsh family home at 1200 County Road 13 near Harrow, as seen via drone on June 21. (Ken Amlin/CBC)
The large lot has a house and a multi-vehicle garage that are hidden from the roadway by trees and foliage.
Carly’s Facebook page identifies her as an assistant manager at Paglione Estate Winery, and a “mother, friend, worker” and “wife trying to run a easy homestead in the county.”
Two days before the deaths, she shared more than a dozen pics of her children participating in a Harrow Minor Soccer game. A photo album on her Facebook page is titled “What will 2024 bring!” and features celebratory images.
Madison and Hunter both attended St. Anthony Catholic Elementary School in Harrow. According to Carly’s Facebook page, they were heavily involved in soccer and enjoyed other sports, such as running and ice skating.
‘There aren’t any real words:’ community grieves loss of Essex family members
Community members participated in a vigil in Harrow on Sunday night after four family members were found dead in their home on Thursday.
In a post marking Madison’s 13th birthday in May, Carly wrote: “Can’t believe we have a teenager in the house.”
The vigil, held at a soccer field on Sunday, was organized by Carly’s friends, Treena Upcott, Victoria Cranston and Essex Mayor Sherry Bondy.
Upcott said Carly was involved at the Catholic school attended by her children, among other causes.
Darrow Woods, the pastor at Harrow United Church who also attended the vigil, said: “We wish things were different. We may try to make sense of something that makes no sense.
Hundreds walked the roughly one-kilometre track at the soccer field to remember the family at Sunday’s vigil. (Mike Evans/CBC)
“We have questions that I so wish I had answers [to]. I wish there were words I could say that would take away all of the confusion, and the pain and the loss.”
A child at the vigil who identified herself as “Madi’s best friend” expressed her love for the family, saying through tears. “I want them to fly high.”
As of Monday afternoon, funeral arrangements for the Walsh family had yet to be made.
‘We have to help each other’
Community fundraising for the family continues, with Essex Mayor Sherry Bondy saying the Harrow Rotary Club has been collecting donations to help with funeral costs.
Representatives of the Rotary Club will accept contributions at the Open Streets event in downtown Harrow on Friday, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. ET.
“In the midst of chaos, when things that aren’t supposed to happen, happen — we do what we can do,” Woods, the pastor, told the vigil.
“When the worst things happen, worse than we can possibly imagine … we have to encourage each other to be our best selves. We have to help each other. Every one of us needs to see that there is still lots of good in this world.”
Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette returned to the 10-day injured list Thursday due to a right middle finger fracture.
The move, retroactive to Wednesday, essentially ends an injury-plagued season for Bichette.
He had two hits and one RBI in a 13-8 loss to Texas on Tuesday in his return from a 52-game stint on the IL with a right calf strain.
Bichette also missed nine games due to the calf issue in June.
His latest injury was suffered Wednesday during infield practice. Bichette was a late scratch in a 2-0 loss to the Rangers.
Bichette hit four homers with 31 RBIs in 81 games this season. He posted a .225 batting average and a .322 slugging percentage.
The Blue Jays also recalled outfielder Jonatan Clase from Triple-A Buffalo. He was active for the series finale against the Rangers on Thursday afternoon, the team said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
Falcons wide receiver Drake London was penalized after catching a touchdown pass in the final minute of Atlanta’s 22-21 victory in Philadelphia on Monday night for pretending to shoot in the air, a violation of a longstanding NFL rule that prohibits violent gestures.
London immediately apologized on the sideline, according to Falcons coach Raheem Morris, and did it publicly on Wednesday.
“There’s a lot of stuff going around in the world with gun violence that I don’t think I should have displayed there,” London told reporters. “So, I’m not too happy with it, and (you) probably won’t see that again from me.”
The NFL has strict rules for celebrations and players are reminded annually that violations will result in unsportsmanlike penalties.
London’s 7-yard TD catch on a pass from Kirk Cousins tied the score at 21-21. His penalty pushed the extra point back 15 yards but Younghoe Koo made it from 48 yards out to give Atlanta a lead and Jessie Bates intercepted Jalen Hurts’ pass on the ensuing drive to seal the victory.
“We approach player celebrations as expressions of exuberance that are part of the excitement of the game. Rules were modified in 2017 that permitted group celebrations, including choregraphed demonstrations. Offensive demonstrations, celebrations that are prolonged and delay the game, and those directed at an opponent are still penalized,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said in a statement. “Players are reminded annually and it’s part of the player manual that demonstrations that constitute taunting or unsportsmanlike conduct, or delays the game, will result in a foul against his team.
“Also prohibited acts that occur anywhere on the field or sideline include longtime prohibitions against throat slash; machine gun salute; sexually suggestive gestures; or stomping or demonstrations on a team logo.”
London’s celebration came 12 days after four people were killed in a shooting at Apalachee High School near Winder, Georgia. The Falcons hosted the school’s football team at their practice facility last week.
LANGLEY, B.C. – Police in Langley, B.C., say one person is dead in an early morning crash between a car and a motorcycle on Highway 1.
Mounties say their initial investigation indicates both vehicles were travelling east when they collided shortly before 4:20 a.m. near 240 Street on the highway.
The motorcycle rider died from their injuries.
The eastbound lanes of the highway remain closed between 232 and 264 streets.
RCMP say their integrated collision analysis reconstruction team was at the scene.
The Mounties are asking anyone who witnessed the crash or who may have dash-camera footage from the area to call them.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
