Missouri police are investigating what seems to be the double murder-suicide of a couple and their infant daughter. The "depressed" mother is believed to be the shooter in the case. Reports are that 32-year-old Mary Jo Trokey shot and killed her 33-year-old husband Matthew Trokey, and their infant, Taylor Rose, at their home in St. Louis, Missouri last Thursday or Friday before killing herself.
Family member discovered the bodies
The police were notified when, after failing to hear from them, one of the baby’s grandparents went to check on them and found the Family with gunshot wounds.
Investigators revealed to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that Mary Jo Trokey is believed to have bought a gun in the days leading up to the incident and they are tracking the purchase. A gun was also reported to have been found at the residence.
According to police Captain Eric Larson, the bodies were all said to have been found in the same part of the family home and there were no signs of forced entry. Capt. Larson said that while the police are used to seeing gruesome murder scenes, they are not used to seeing “innocent victims” experience such “trauma and violence.”
Community in shock
Reverend Bob Reiker, the Trokey family pastor, said that the very friendly couple participated in their local St.
Vincent de Paul Society, which worked with the low-income members of the neighborhood. He described the family as stable and noted that the community is baffled by the gruesome tragedy. “It’s inexplicable how someone could do this to themselves, let alone their little girl,” he said.
The Trokeys' neighbors were also shocked to learn of what happened, having coined them as "the perfect family."
New mother suffered from postpartum psychosis
Reports are that the new mother had been suffering from postpartum psychosis, a rare disorder which mental illness experts say can be triggered by childbirth and is known to cause delusional and irrational behavior.
They say that in the majority of cases, most mothers who suffer from Postpartum Psychosis do not harm themselves or their children.
Approximately one out of every nine women will experience symptoms of postpartum depression. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but in some states, figures show rates reaching as high as 20 percent of all women. Additional symptoms of the disorder include hyperactivity, sudden mood swings, paranoia, and hallucinations.
