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January 06, 2006
Entire Family Found Bound With Throats Slashed In Their Virginia Home
Topics: Harvey Family Murders
An entire family was found brutally murdered in their Richmond, Va. home on New Year's Day and many in the close knit community want to know why a well-liked couple and their two young children were massacred in their midst. The family may have been held hostage, since their daughter returned home just hours before the bodies were discovered New Year's Day morning. Apparently Kathryn Harvey had answered the door, anxious and in distress.
Apparently the Harveys, Bryan, Kathryn, Stella and Ruby, were well known in the community. Bryan, 49, was a talented and widely-respected musician, knew a lot of people in the music business and was well liked, and was an employee of Henrico County Schools, Kathryn, 39, was known as the owner of World of Mirth in Carytown, Stella, 9, was a third-grader at William Fox Elementary School, and Ruby, 4, was in pre-school at Second Presbyterian Church.
From another news source:
(...) Some in the neighborhood feared the Harvey family murders were a professional-style hit. Instead, sources say the killers were sloppy in taking the Harvey family’s lives.Two quick questions come to mind: First, why this family, and second, why this particular method of killing them - binding them and slashing their throats? I'm not yet ready to take a guess as to whether or not these murders were unplanned. It appears that there may be much more to this than meets the eye.(...) Sources now say the killer used a box-cutter style-knife and a hammer in the slayings. And, that the knife, hammer and tape all came from within the Harvey family home.
(...) Visitors to the home for a New Year’s Day picnic discovered something was wrong when they smelled smoke coming from the home.
(...) Sources say smoke was found in some of the victims' lungs, meaning they were still breathing when the fire was set.
Very interestingly, from another news source we learn that Bryan Harvey penned a 1994 song for his rock duo House of Freaks that bears a striking resemblance to the New Year's Day massacre of his. In the song titled "Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey," Harvey describes "knocking on the Pearly Gates in my Sunday best."
The most disturbing passage conjures a murderer in a basement.From the "America's Most Wanted" website:Who's that man coming
Says hey, hey, hey, hey
Sharpens his knife singing
Hey, hey, hey, hey
Flashes of pain
Hey, hey, hey, hey
Heartbroken woman
Hey, hey, hey, hey
In the basement
Hey, hey, hey, hey
Begs him for mercy
Hey, hey, hey, heyAs the song hauntingly foreshadows, Harvey and his family were found bound with tape with their throats cut in a basement playroom that was set ablaze shortly before 1:40 p.m. on Sunday.
Kathryn and Stella were seen alive at 10 a.m. that New Year's morn - when a friend delivered Stella from an overnight play date.
(...) Authorities say they received a call reporting a fire at the Harvey home at 1:41 p.m. on New Year's Day. When firemen arrived, they found Bryan, Kathryn and their two young daughters Stella and Ruby, all dead in the basement. Police say all four were bound and had fatal knife wounds.If you have any information that can be helpful to the police, the number is 514-TIPS (8477). There is a $6,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the killers. The reward should be at least 100 times that amount!(...) Police believe that the four were murdered sometime between 10:00 a.m. and 1:40 p.m. The Harveys were hosting a chili cookout that afternoon and friends began to arrive at 2:00 p.m.
(...) The night before, Bryan had played a New Year's Eve gig at the DoubleTree Hotel with (his band) NrG Krysys.
Other coverage - Riehl World View
Posted by Richard at January 6, 2006 01:24 PM
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