Wife exposed husband’s affair on Reddit before he shot her and their six children dead | News US

A father shot his wife and six children before killing himself in their burning home, police said.

Kristopher Karolkiewicz, 47, his wife, Amanda Karolkiewicz, 39, and their six children, ages five to 15, were all found dead in Grand Haven Township next to Lake Michigan on Friday morning. 

All eight deaths were caused by gunshot wounds in a suspected murder-suicide, the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office said Monday.

Kristopher Karolkiewicz, who worked for the American Heart Association had his ’employment ended’ days before the killings. He is believed to have shot them all before setting their home on fire and committing suicide.

The family’s pets also perished in the fire and smoke.

It has since emerged Amanda had exposed her husband’s affair with an intern at work on the ‘As One After Infidelity’ section on Reddit.

She described her life in the beach town of Grand Haven as ‘like living in a Hallmark movie,’ before it was wrecked by the revelation.

Describing how she met Kristopher, she said: ‘He was divorced and older than me … fast forward ten years and five kids, he was cheating with the intern again – the same age I was when I was the intern.

‘After about a year of self-loathing, I remember crying and looking at myself in the mirror and realising how f***ed up it was that I was the one who was living so miserably because of what he did. I finally realised that I had been the only person who has ever showed up for myself my whole entire life.’

Even so, she told how she found the idea of leaving her husband ‘insanely terrifying’ and strained to hold the family together.

‘I kept telling myself, “I love my kids more than I hate my husband right now.” They have no idea – faked it ’till we made it,’ she wrote in the 2024 post. 

‘We’re in a much better place 4.5 years out, but it’s still a fight to stay in a healthy place.

‘He’s always had major red flags that I ignored due to my own trauma and anxious attachment. He was raised in a toxic family dynamic that encouraged lying about everything.’

In posts verified by Detroit News, she explained: ‘After the most recent incident of catching him being sneaky, I insisted he go back to (independent counseling) and we attempt (marriage counseling) for the first time.

‘It’s all so confusing, because our day-to-day lives and dynamics are truly good, until every so often now when he pulls sneaky (expletive).’

She said she had pulled her children away from his side of the family and things had got physical between the couple in furious rows.

‘Perfect’ family life portrayed on blog

Amanda regularly wrote a blog detailing her family life. Their first child was born on April 25, 2011, which she hailed as ‘the best day of my life (so far).’

Two more sons followed over the next four years, as she shifted from a banking job to a part-time position at a local insurance agency and later stopped working outside the home. The couple later adopted two daughters and had another biological son.

The blog frequently expressed her Christian faith, her joy in the family and her love and appreciation for her husband and his parenting.

Kris Karolkiewicz, too, hailed their life together: ‘I’m a very lucky guy,’ he wrote in a 2019 Facebook post ahead of their 10th anniversary.

Although her blog ended in 2016, Mandy Karolkiewicz continued sharing updates on her family and activities in TikTok videos, including clips of a trip to China earlier this month with two of her children.

Then officials got calls about a smoky smell in the area around the Karolkiewicz home Friday morning, checked it out but found nothing.

After getting more calls about three hours later, they returned, saw smoke coming from the home and found the bodies, at least some of them in bedrooms, Sparks said. Also found were the family’s dogs and at least one cat, which had perished in the blaze.

Her friends have launched a fundraiser to set up a scholarship in the children’s name.

Mandy’s parents shared a statement with The Detroit News, remembering her as ‘a kind and devoted soul who loved her family and her students.’

‘We treasured every moment we had with her and her six children, and words cannot adequately express our devastation.’

In an earlier social media post, Grand Haven Public Schools recognised Mandy Karolkiewicz as a substitute teacher at Peach Plains Elementary, describing her as someone who ‘goes above and beyond for students,’ responding with ’empathy, patience, and care.’

Samaritans are here to listen, day or night, 365 days a year. You can call them for free on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org or visit samaritans.org for more information.

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