Cop shoots wife, children, mum-in-law then kills himself, Latest Others News - The New Paper
News

Cop shoots wife, children, mum-in-law then kills himself

This article is more than 12 months old

After a heated argument with his wife, a US police officer used his police-issued handgun to shoot and kill his wife, two children, and mother-in-law in his Utah house.

Joshua Boren, 34, then placed his dead wife and children side-by-side on his bed before lying down next to them and taking his own life. ​His children were seven and five.

A police report released on Monday (July 7) gave details into the murder-suicide which took place in January, after his wife made a shocking find of sex videotapes featuring the couple.

"You (expletive) drugged and raped me," said Mrs Boren's text message to him the night before the tragedy. 

"I hate my life because (of) you. You killed a part of me."

He had earlier Googled "America's most brutal serial killers" and "narcissism" on his last police shift.

Troubled past

The well-respected police officer from Lindon City had a troubled past that continued into adulthood, said the police report, which was obtained by Deseret News.

After a seven-month investigation, the report said that Boren had a history of sexual abuse, drug and pornography addiction, reported the paper.

"Josh was a very troubled individual that felt like he was about to lose his wife and children," the report said. 

Boren's therapist, whom he saw since 2013 for his sex addiction to save his failing marriage, said he was a "three-year-old boy stuck in a big man's body".

"He had been abused physically, sexually and emotionally as a child, and was still upset with his mother for not protecting him from the abuse," said the report.  

Failing marriage

His eight-year marriage was on the rocks after Mrs Boren discovered he had repeatedly videotaped himself drug-raping her.

But she kept quiet as she could not bear to harm his career and possibly send him to jail. 

Police officer Matt Johnson said the community was stunned by the murders and investigators did not find anybody who suspected Joshua Boren was capable of such an act, reported Daily Mail. 

"He was praised as being an excellent father," Mr Johnson said, adding that he got his kids ready for school every morning, even when he was living separately from his wife.

Source: Deseret News, Daily Mail

Singapore Police ForceMurdersuicideFamilyunited statesLindon City