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Iraq war vet kills pregnant wife, daughter, self

: 0 Comments Print E-mail Agencies via China Daily, August 20, 2010

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April Oles-Magdzas was due to give birth to her second daughter Wednesday, a little more than a year after she and her Iraq war veteran husband became new parents.

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But when Oles-Magdzas' mother showed up that day at the couple's home in Superior, she found the entire family dead of an apparent murder-suicide.

In this 2007 photo provided by the Superior Telegram, Pfc. Matthew Magdzas listens to family members outside of the National Guard Armory in Superior, Wis. [Agencies]

Superior police said Thursday that Matthew Magdzas, a 23-year-old Wisconsin National Guard soldier who earned a combat badge in the Iraq war, shot and killed his pregnant wife, their 13-month-old daughter Lila, and their three dogs before turning the gun on himself.

Investigators believe the killings occurred Tuesday afternoon, but like friends of the couple, they are still wondering why.

Police Capt. Chad La Lor said that Magdzas did not leave behind a suicide note, and that investigators have found no evidence the couple had money problems or was unduly stressed by the pending birth of their daughter. There was no indication either had been unfaithful.

La Lor said investigators plan to subpoena Magdzas' military medical records to see if he had complained of or been treated for signs of post traumatic stress disorder.

Lt. Col. Jackie Guthrie, a spokeswoman for the Wisconsin National Guard, said the military can not disclose Magdzas' health records to the public.

A man who answered the phone Thursday and identified himself as the son of Gene Oles said the family had no comment. A Susan Oles and April J. Oles are also listed as in the household.

According to Oles-Magdzas' friend and former colleague, 36-year-old Tessa Buscko, of Duluth, Minn., Oles-Magdzas was due to give birth by C-section on the day her body was found. She said she didn't know what could have driven Magdzas to wipe out his family.

"He must have had a flashback or something. I don't know. That's crazy. Matt doesn't seem like that type of person," Buscko said. "The only thing people can think of is coming back from the war and trying to live a normal life."

Magdzas enlisted in the National Guard during the summer of 2004, between his junior and senior years in high school, Guthrie said. He had completed his training by October 2005 and was assigned to the Superior-based 950th Engineer Company.

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