What led to Julia Cash-Owens a Shelbyville, Kentucky grandmother fatally shooting her cerebral palsy teen granddaughter before shooting herself dead?
Authorities have told of a Kentucky grandmother shooting dead her 14 year old disabled granddaughter before killing herself in dead in an apparent murder suicide.
WAVE-TV reported Julia Cash-Owens, 63, shooting dead the teen afflicted with cerebral palsy before turning the gun on herself.
Shelbyville police responded to the shootings Monday afternoon, circa 2pm where the grandmother was pronounced dead at the scene. A coroner’s report on Tuesday told of 14 year old girl Aurelia Castillo dying at a hospital of a gunshot wound.
Reports told of Cash-Owens living at a bungalow home with her daughter, Samantha Castillo and her daughter’s two children, Aurelia and her younger brother.
Of note, metro.uk reported an un-confirmed Facebook comment under a tribute post claimed that Cash-Owens committed the murder-suicide because she ‘could not stand seeing her granddaughter suffer any longer’.
Not clear was what support the family had been afforded in dealing with the stricken teen and whether there had been unsurmountable financial obligations?
Julia Cash-Owens’ son pays tribute to his mother and his disabled teen niece:
Following the murder suicide, Cash-Owens’ son posted the following statement on social media, ‘I want to sincerely thank everyone for the kind messages. We still don’t know what actually occurred yesterday.’
‘I know that I lost my wonderful mother and beautiful niece,’
‘My mother spent her entire life helping underprivileged children,’
‘She retired and took care of her mother and grandchildren,’
‘She spent everyday caring for my niece, Aurelia, who had severe Cerebral Palsy. ‘She also was raising my nephew, w/ special needs.’
‘This is also the same woman who went to bed hungry when I was younger so her kids could eat. ‘I’m so heartbroken that this has occurred. ‘I never got to say to my mom. Today, I’m choose to celebrate her life.’
To date, authorities have not described a motive for the shootings.
