Colorado Police Discover Bizarre Columbine Twist in Twin Suicide Pact
- Posted on November 19, 2010 at 7:35pm by
Meredith Jessup
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ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — A photocopy of a magazine cover about the Columbine school shooting was found among the belongings of Australian twin sisters who shot themselves in a suicide pact at a Colorado shooting range, authorities said Friday.
However, it remained unclear why Kristin and Candice Hermeler, both 29, had the cover of Time headlined “The Monsters Next Door/What Made Them Do It?” and why the sisters made the plan to kill themselves, authorities said. One of the women survived.
Columbine High School is about 20 miles from the shooting range. The May 3, 1999, magazine cover featured photographs of gunmen Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold and their 13 victims. Harris and Klebold committed suicide simultaneously — just as police said the twins attempted to do.
The magazine cover was found among stuffed animals, cell phones and jewelry the twins left behind at the nearby hotel where they had been staying. No suicide note was found.
Candice Hermeler remained hospitalized in serious condition with a head wound as her parents arrived in Colorado on Friday. Investigators hoped to talk to the parents later, Arapahoe County sheriff’s Capt. Louie Perea said.
He said the presence of the Time cover showed the twins had some interest in the Columbine shooting but added that Candice told investigators during an emotional interview that she didn’t care about the attack and that it had happened a long time ago.
She also told authorities the twins were trying to carry out the suicide plan Monday at Family Shooting Center in Cherry Creek State Park, where investigators said they rented handguns and shot themselves in the head.
There was nothing to indicate the sisters planned to hurt anyone else, Perea said, noting police don’t believe a crime was committed.
An affidavit supporting the search of the twins’ belongings states a witness at the range saw two women fall down before one rolled around and yelled for help.
An arriving deputy found one sister on her back and the other sitting on her feet. When the seated woman fell onto her sister, the officer noticed a gunshot wound to her forehead as he rolled her away.
The sisters, who are from Australia’s Victoria state, had been in the Denver area for about five weeks. One had gun training two weeks before the shooting, and both showed up at the range about a week later for additional training, Perea said.
On Monday, the sisters took a taxi to the range from their hotel about six miles away and rented the pistols. They took target practice on the chilly afternoon, prompting one sister to borrow a jacket, Perea said.
They initially shared a stall near a person firing a high-powered rifle. After the twins complained about the noise, range staff moved them to another lane.
“I don’t know if they did that to be in a more secluded area or what,” Perea said.
One of the sisters then left to place the jacket on a nearby table — apparently deciding against wearing borrowed clothing for what was to follow.
Authorities said surveillance video captured the incident. It showed the sisters falling out of the stall about a half-second apart, with other patrons quickly reacting, Perea said.
The twins had been at the range about an hour and 20 minutes.
It’s not clear what they were doing in the United States.
The Sydney Morning Herald said they were from the Melbourne suburb of Surrey Hills, and identified their parents as Ernest and Kelsay Hermeler. The Herald Sun reported Ernest Hermeler was a bank executive and that the twins’ parents had emigrated to Australia from South Africa about 40 years ago.
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Aiasha
Posted on November 20, 2010 at 3:00pmThese girls had to come to America for this because guns have been confiscated in Australia as they have been in England. Each weird event like this is more fodder for the Neo-Communists in Washington to justify un-Constitutional policies and laws. Western countries moving toward one world government is not toward a one world government in which individuals are free with God given rights. It is one world centralized Communism. Soon embracing Sharia Law.
Report Post »Chalon Hutson
Posted on November 20, 2010 at 2:25pmAll I have to say is: wow.
If you want to lighten the mood and watch something funny watch my video.
Report Post »http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9gi8cESCzI&hd=1
Ponyexpress
Posted on November 20, 2010 at 11:34amWikipedia will have new definition of :“Family Shooting center”
Report Post »thequeenbee
Posted on November 20, 2010 at 11:28amAfter having experienced a suicide in our extended family, I have only prayers for the family. It is worse than a murder. Secondly, why did they have to come to the States to do this? I’m sure they have guns and shooting ranges in Australia. Or they could have just gone to the Outback on a ‘hunting trip’ why involve us in their madness. Now it will impact innocent people who just want to own a gun by the loony left reactionaries in our country.
Report Post »TAKOMASAK
Posted on November 20, 2010 at 7:01pmAustralians are not allowed to have guns.
Report Post »Reasonabiliy
Posted on November 20, 2010 at 10:34amIt’s time for the Dweebtards to take control and ban, knives, ropes, gas, tire irons, swords,hands, medication, cars, trucks, obamacare and anything else that can take lives.
Report Post »WestOfThePecos
Posted on November 20, 2010 at 9:43amFreedom of choice, folks. They were 29 year old adults.
Report Post »smokie
Posted on November 20, 2010 at 3:24amBut BOTH depressed at the same time? I understand twins are close, but jeez.
Report Post »teahugger
Posted on November 21, 2010 at 2:48amdepression runs in families. both probably inherited the same chemical imbalance. that’s not an excuse, though.
Report Post »QuietRiot
Posted on November 20, 2010 at 1:59amsuicide is a selfish act that has no concern for others that care about them the ultimate in relationship treason …… may god forgive you for your wickedness…..
Report Post »Taquoshi
Posted on November 20, 2010 at 12:54amSadly, there are issues and when people become depressed, they think that suicide is the only answer. Friends of ours just attended the funeral of a young woman who struggled with depression and committed suicide two weeks ago and last year, our lives were touched by three of them.
This isn‘t the first time that I’ve heard of twins having a suicide pact, one happened in an nearby state in 1989 that I was personally aware of. The family and the surviving sister have my prayers because it is going to be a very difficult thing to deal with in the coming days.
Report Post »mikenleeds
Posted on November 20, 2010 at 12:11ami can t help but wonder what brought two young women to the point of hurting them selfs , no matter how bad your life is going God loves you always flaws and all … pray for those girls
Report Post »SilentReader
Posted on November 19, 2010 at 11:10pmUnbelievable!
Report Post »Wakawl
Posted on November 19, 2010 at 10:41pmJeez, the state that I live in as been in a steady decline for the last 10 years.
Report Post »I can’t complain though, because its happening everywhere!
J.C. McGlynn
Posted on November 19, 2010 at 10:35pmDon’t know why they shot themselves. Whatever was bothering them must have been bad from their point of view. Anti-gun groups will say guns being easily available is the problem rather than the real one.
Report Post »gimmetheskinny
Posted on November 19, 2010 at 10:19pmFreaks evreywhere
Report Post »javablanca
Posted on November 19, 2010 at 9:45pmaccording to hemingway: dos cobardes…
Report Post »aamador
Posted on November 20, 2010 at 7:28amMore than cowards, they were misguided souls
Report Post »Conserving Ink
Posted on November 19, 2010 at 9:33pmThis is not the only strange and violent story out of Columbine today, got to wonder what’s going on in that town.
Report Post »___________________________________________________________
conserving-ink.blogspot.com
SgtB
Posted on November 19, 2010 at 9:31pmI called it on the original story. No one goes to a gun range to kill a person unless suicide is involved. I feel bad for the family of these girls; but, no one made them do it, so I feel no sympathy towards these two.
Report Post »Highland
Posted on November 20, 2010 at 7:44amSomeone will use this incident as an excuse to ban handguns.
Report Post »dontbotherme
Posted on November 19, 2010 at 9:28pmThis is so sad for all concerned. God bless the family & friends.
Report Post »Buck Bagaw
Posted on November 19, 2010 at 9:14pmThe mind can play weird tricks on it’s owner. What a terrible waste.
Report Post »mamawalker
Posted on November 19, 2010 at 9:14pmmy prayers are with this family.
Report Post »TruthTalker
Posted on November 19, 2010 at 9:10pmthese kids today….
Report Post »snowleopard3200 {mix art}
Posted on November 19, 2010 at 9:46pmNo kidding, I remember when the Blaze first reported this story a few days ago.
May God be with the family.
grandmaof5
Posted on November 19, 2010 at 10:44pmIf that was a pact, sad for the one that survived. She will have a tough time explaining to her parents why they planned to kill themselves and then live with the consequences. If she was the shooter, can she be charged?
Report Post »independentvoteril
Posted on November 20, 2010 at 12:31amAll I have to ask is WHAT WERE THEY THINKING??? NOT of those that love them and how much they would hurt..I hope God helps the family through this TERRIBLE ordeal..
Report Post »Atrocities
Posted on November 20, 2010 at 2:14amVery sad business here. :( Where were the parents?
Heads Up! Obama may do a recess appointment of Andrew Traver a man who advocates the expansion of the prohibited person list to include any person who has ever been treated for any type of mental health issue, to run the BATFE. So it is no surprise that he also supports using digitized medical records in back ground checks. Not only is he a key player in the anti-gun movement, he also favors using gray area regulations to “shut down and imprison gun dealers by any means necessary.”
Report Post »teahugger
Posted on November 20, 2010 at 7:36amMe thinks someone took the name of the facility a little too literally…“Family Shooting Center”?
Report Post »WestOfThePecos
Posted on November 20, 2010 at 9:35amSince when is 29 a kid. These two girls were adults and knew what they were doing. That is called freedom of choice.
Report Post »Rogue
Posted on November 20, 2010 at 10:06am@ Grandma – the word here in Colorado is that each sister shot herself, so no charges are pending.
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