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Killed children’s mom gave police a suspect after they went missing.Hours later, the three children — along with Mrs. Ford, 56, her son, Andy Ford, 32, and three family pets — were found dead, presumably of carbon monoxide poisoning, inside a car parked.

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 Killed children’s mom gave police a suspect after they went missing.Hours later, the three children — along with Mrs. Ford, 56, her son, Andy Ford, 32, and three family pets — were found dead, presumably of carbon monoxide poisoning, inside a car parked. Empty Killed children’s mom gave police a suspect after they went missing.Hours later, the three children — along with Mrs. Ford, 56, her son, Andy Ford, 32, and three family pets — were found dead, presumably of carbon monoxide poisoning, inside a car parked.

Post by Wrapitup Wed Nov 14, 2012 12:04 pm

BY TAYLOR DUNGJEN
BLADE STAFF WRITER
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Sandy Ford is pictured with her grandchildren, from left, Paige, Madalyn, and Logan Hayes.

Within an hour after Mandy Hayes dropped off three of her children at Whiteford Elementary School on Monday, she was told in a phone call from the school that they had failed to show up in their classrooms, police revealed on Tuesday.

Sylvania Township police put out an all-points bulletin to area law enforcement to be on the lookout for Paige Hayes, 10, Logan Hayes, 7, and Madalyn Hayes, 5, after receiving a report from Mrs. Hayes that they were missing.

Chief Robert Boehme said Mrs. Hayes suspected her children had been taken from the school by their maternal grandmother, Sandy Ford.

Hours later, the three children — along with Mrs. Ford, 56, her son, Andy Ford, 32, and three family pets — were found dead, presumably of carbon monoxide poisoning, inside a car parked inside the garage of Mrs. Ford’s Harvest Lane home in West Toledo.

The three children and two adults were jammed in the back seat of the car. The two dogs and the cat were in the front seat.

Authorities are continuing to investigate what they are calling a multiple murder-suicide case, and said the adults might have been motivated by a “custody” dispute between Mrs. Ford and Mrs. Hayes.

“There’s years and years of experience here [at the Toledo Police Department], and we’ve been at a complete loss as to how you can have two adults conspire to kill three children,” Toledo police Sgt. Tim Noble said. “It’s really hard to comprehend.”

Monday afternoon, Randy Ford, 60, Mrs. Ford’s husband, returned home from work without any sign of his family. Inside there were “suspicious” notes from his wife, son, and grandchildren that caused him to become concerned, police have said.

Once he realized he could not get into the garage, Mr. Ford called police at 3:17 p.m. At 3:26 p.m., police and fire crews arrived on scene; firefighters forced entry into the garage using a sledgehammer. Inside they found a running truck with hoses in the exhaust funneling into a rear passenger window, filling the car with fumes, apparently causing the deaths of the children, Mrs. Ford, her son, two Shepherd-mix dogs, and a cat.

Toledo police declined to release the notes, citing the ongoing investigation, and declined to comment on how many were left, whom they were written to, or what the notes said.

When asked if the notes gave any indication what the children knew about the apparent plans of Mrs. Ford and her son, Sgt. Joe Heffernan said, “We don’t know.”

Chief Boehme said a township officer went to the Ford residence several times to check on their safety after Mrs. Hayes reported the children were missing about 10 a.m, but did not get anyone to answer the door.

The incident was handled as “interference with custody”, not an abduction, the chief said, because Mrs. Hayes thought her mother, Mrs. Ford, had the children.


"She suspected her right in the beginning," he said.

Chief Boehme said school officials, who called Mrs. Hayes at home about 8:20 a.m., reviewed the video recording from inside the building that showed Mrs. Ford waiting inside the school lobby, where she took her grandchildren and left.

Chief Boehme said officers sent out a missing persons bulletin on the disappearance with a description of each child, but didn't issue an Amber Alert because the incident didn't meet the criteria for the emergency notification program.

“All I can tell you is that there were no red flags to indicate the children were in imminent danger,” he said. “There was nothing at that point to show that Sandy would harm the children.”

In 2009, Mrs. Hayes and her husband, Chris Hayes, asked Mrs. Hayes' parents to take care of the three children while they dealt with another child's “significant behavior problems,” said Dean Sparks, executive director of Lucas County Children Services.

Mr. Sparks declined to elaborate on what the behavioral problems were, but said Mrs. Hayes “was overwhelmed” and asking her parents to watch the children was the right thing to do.

The children lived with their grandparents and uncle in the Harvest Lane home — with continued and frequent contact and visits from their parents — for several years without any reported problems, authorities from several agencies said.

The first sign of possible trouble came this year — on Nov. 6 — when Toledo police were called to the Ford's home for a report of domestic violence between Mrs. Ford and Mrs. Hayes, authorities said.

Sergeant Heffernan said Tuesday that the report about the incident was not available.

Police were back at the home only days later for a custody exchange, Sergeant Heffernan said.

On Saturday, Mr. Sparks said, the children moved back into their parents' home, apparently against the wishes of Mrs. Ford.

“[Mrs. Ford] wanted to prevent the mother [Mrs. Hayes] from coming to take the children, but we had no legal authority to do that,” Mr. Sparks said.

Because Mr. and Mrs. Hayes asked the grandparents to watch the children, there was no need for Children Services to do a home study, he said.

In the three years that Paige, Logan, and Madalyn lived with the grandparents, the sibling who remained with the parents had seen therapists and had “been in all kinds of services,” Mr. Sparks said.

Until Nov. 7, the agency had no involvement with the family since 2009, when they were contacted because of the dispute between Mrs. Ford and Mrs. Hayes. A caseworker was “working with the family because of the conflict, but there was no indication that this would happen,” Mr. Sparks said.

Kim Slater, the older sister of Mr. Hayes, said her brother and sister-in-law were happy to have their family back together.

“[Mandy] was posting every day on Facebook how much she adored her kids and how thankful she was,” said Ms. Slater, who lives in York, Pa. “She was so thankful for the kids living at home again.”

Ms. Slater described the three children as “adorable. They were so sweet, and just good kids.” She added that Mr. and Mrs. Hayes recently had a fifth child and that, through Facebook postings, Ms. Slater noted that Mrs. Hayes “was honestly the happiest I'd ever seen her.”

Neither Mandy nor Chris Hayes appeared to be at their Sylvania home Tuesday when a reporter knocked on the door.

Neighbors who live on their quiet street either declined to comment or said the Hayes family is quiet and mostly keeps to themselves.

Not far away, at Whiteford Elementary, counselors, teachers, and staff were working to make sure students had time to talk about their thoughts and feelings.

Sylvania City Schools Superintendent Bradley Rieger said there was a counselor or school psychologist in every classroom for the entire day.

In the morning, teachers and staff “greeted kids with warm smiles and hugs” and, after morning announcements, had the students in each class sit in a circle where the teachers — without going into detail — said three of their schoolmates had died. The students were then encouraged to talk about the memories of the children or to talk about their own experiences with death.

Mr. Rieger, who spent most of the day with fourth and fifth grade classes at the school — Paige was in fifth grade, Logan in second, and Madalyn in kindergarten — said students also made posters or another art project in memory of the Hayes children.

“They were really powerful,” he said.

In Paige's class, Mr. Rieger learned that the 10-year-old had, last week, received an award from the D.A.R.E. Officers there because “she was the type of student who had great character and a great work ethic.”

Funeral services are being handled by Dowling Funeral Home, 7509 New West Rd., said director John Dowling.

Visitation is expected to be held Saturday from 4 to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home. The funeral is scheduled for Monday at 11 a.m. at Olivet Lutheran Church, 5840 Monroe St.

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 Killed children’s mom gave police a suspect after they went missing.Hours later, the three children — along with Mrs. Ford, 56, her son, Andy Ford, 32, and three family pets — were found dead, presumably of carbon monoxide poisoning, inside a car parked. Empty Mother of 3 kids who died in murder-suicide in Ohio had sought to have them back in her care

Post by Wrapitup Wed Nov 14, 2012 12:08 pm

Published November 14, 2012
Associated Press

TOLEDO, Ohio – Caught up in a family disagreement over who should care for three young children, a grandmother and her son barricaded themselves and the kids in a garage and filled it with deadly carbon monoxide gas. All five died.
Police spent Tuesday trying to explain the heartbreaking scene discovered a day earlier at the home of 54-year-old Sandy Ford and her son Andy in a quiet Toledo neighborhood.

Firefighters using a sledgehammer broke down the garage door to find the bodies of 5-year-old Madalyn Hayes, her 6-year-old brother, Logan, and 10-year-old sister, Paige, slumped inside a car, along with their grandmother and uncle. Two hoses attached to the exhaust of a pickup truck pumped gas fumes through the car's rear window.

Police said letters inside the house indicated the woman and her son plotted the murder-suicide, beginning by picking up the children from school Monday morning after their mother had dropped them off earlier.

They also had disabled the garage door opener and nailed plywood over the windows, said Toledo police Sgt. Joe Heffernan. He wouldn't say what was in the letters, but it appeared some were written by the children.
"We're trying to figure out all the why's in this," he said.

Authorities were called to the home by the children's frantic grandfather after he discovered the letters and was unable to force open the garage door. Despite the grisly scene, investigators found no signs the children were forced into the car and believe all five died of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Until last week, the children had spent the last three years living with their grandparents, Sandy and Randy Ford, and their uncle at the house in a residential neighborhood close to the Michigan state line.

Their mother, Mandy Hayes, had asked her mom for help caring for the three children because a fourth child at the home was becoming disruptive, said children's services representatives and a family friend.

"She was just being protective," said the friend, Cammie Turner.

While the children were living with their grandparents, their parents saw them almost every day and went on outings to parks and the zoo, Turner said.

"Their kids mean everything to them," she said.

But recently Hayes had decided they should all return home, and the children moved back in with their parents last week, upsetting Hayes' mother, Turner said.

"Mandy wasn't taking the kids away from her entirely," she said. "She wanted them home. It wasn't like she was taking them and grandma could never see them again."

Turner said Hayes had confided that her mother was controlling, but she never seemed alarmed by it.

"It doesn't make sense," she said. "I can't imagine. To have your mom ..."

Police were at the house last week and children's services workers met with both sides of the family, most recently on Saturday, said Dean Sparks, executive director of Lucas County Children Services.

"We only know that there were a lot of allegations back and forth," he said, adding that Sandy Ford was worried about placing her grandchildren back in the home with their 9-year-old brother, who had been disruptive in the past.

But the agency had no authority to decide who should keep the children, Sparks said, and the parents had every right to bring them back into their home.

Turner said she never saw any indication of a strained relationship between Hayes and her mother, and they never went to court over the issue of custody.

Family members declined to comment.

Doug Hall, a neighbor who lives across the street, said he often saw the children with their uncle, raking leaves or shoveling snow. He said the only unusual thing he noticed was a police car at the house last Thursday. He said he didn't know why it was there.

Neighbors said the family spent a lot of time together and that the Fords had put in a swimming pool this summer for the children.

Another neighbor said he saw the kids playing in the leaves just a few days ago.

"One minute they're doing the leaves, and then the next there are cop cars all over," Eric Pieper said.

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 Killed children’s mom gave police a suspect after they went missing.Hours later, the three children — along with Mrs. Ford, 56, her son, Andy Ford, 32, and three family pets — were found dead, presumably of carbon monoxide poisoning, inside a car parked. Empty Re: Killed children’s mom gave police a suspect after they went missing.Hours later, the three children — along with Mrs. Ford, 56, her son, Andy Ford, 32, and three family pets — were found dead, presumably of carbon monoxide poisoning, inside a car parked.

Post by Wrapitup Wed Nov 14, 2012 12:12 pm

November 14, 2012 12:00 PM

Ohio Murder-Suicide Update: Slain children's mother wanted custody back from grandmother

(CBS/AP) TOLEDO, Ohio - Mandy Hayes, the mother of three children who died in a murder-suicide apparently orchestrated by their grandmother and uncle, counted on her mother to care for her kids. Hayes gave the children to her mother three years ago after another son had become too much to handle.

When Hayes decided it was safe to bring the children back home in recent weeks, 54-year-old Sandy Ford snapped, killing her three young grandchildren and herself with the help of her 32-year-old son, who also died, police said.

Letters left behind indicate that Ford and her son barricaded the garage in their Toledo home and running hoses from the exhaust of his pickup truck into the rear window of a car where all five were found dead, police said.

Investigators hope the results from autopsies being completed Wednesday will give them more answers about what happened. A funeral for the children was set for Monday in Toledo, with visitation this weekend.

The family disagreement over where the children should live erupted in the past week, with police and children service workers being asked to intervene. Both said there was never any indication that the dispute would end in tragedy.

Firefighters found the bodies of 5-year-old Madalyn Hayes, her 6-year-old brother Logan and 10-year-old sister Paige slumped inside a car, along with their grandmother and uncle.

Police said letters inside the house indicate the woman and her son picked up the children from school Monday morning after their mother had dropped them off earlier.

Toledo police Sgt. Joe Heffernan wouldn't say what was in the letters, but it appeared some were written by the children.

Authorities were called to the home by the children's grandfather after he discovered the letters and was unable to force open the garage door. Investigators found no signs that the children were forced into the car and believe all five died of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Until last week, the children had spent the past three years living with their grandparents, Sandy and Randy Ford, after Mandy Hayes asked her mom for help because a fourth child was having significant behavior problems, said children's services representatives.

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 Killed children’s mom gave police a suspect after they went missing.Hours later, the three children — along with Mrs. Ford, 56, her son, Andy Ford, 32, and three family pets — were found dead, presumably of carbon monoxide poisoning, inside a car parked. Empty Re: Killed children’s mom gave police a suspect after they went missing.Hours later, the three children — along with Mrs. Ford, 56, her son, Andy Ford, 32, and three family pets — were found dead, presumably of carbon monoxide poisoning, inside a car parked.

Post by Wrapitup Wed Nov 14, 2012 11:48 pm

Grandmother kills grandchildren in murder suicide plot

Bernadette Chua 2:59pm November 14, 2012

Toledo, Ohio
Five bodies found in the garage of a home in Toledo, Ohio were identified as 54-year-old Sandy Ford, her 32-year-old son Andy and her grandchildren, Paige, 10, Logan, 6, and Madalyn, 5.

Police said letters were found at the scene which revealed a disagreement between Mrs Ford and her daughter Mandy Hayes over who would care for the children.
Investigators said the family may have died of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Two dogs and a cat were also found dead.

Mrs Ford’s husband Randy called the police after he found a suspicious note from his wife and was not able to enter the garage.

Local police officer Joe Heffernan said the barricaded door and letters made it "very evident that it was a murder-suicide situation."

According to child services, Mrs Hayes asked her mother to take care of her children three years ago after she gave birth to her fourth child.

Mrs Hayes recently decided that the children should return to live with her.

Mrs Ford was upset that her grandchildren were moving back with their mother, friend Cammie Turner said.
"Mandy wasn't taking the kids away from her entirely," Mrs Turner told Associated Press. "She wanted them home. It wasn't like she was taking them and grandma could never see them again."

A spokesperson from Children's Services said workers had met with both sides of the family last week to decide where the children would live.

"We only know that there were a lot of allegations back and forth," said the spokesperson.

But Mrs Turner said she had not seen any indication of a strained relationship between Mrs Ford and her daughter.
The family declined to comment.

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 Killed children’s mom gave police a suspect after they went missing.Hours later, the three children — along with Mrs. Ford, 56, her son, Andy Ford, 32, and three family pets — were found dead, presumably of carbon monoxide poisoning, inside a car parked. Empty Re: Killed children’s mom gave police a suspect after they went missing.Hours later, the three children — along with Mrs. Ford, 56, her son, Andy Ford, 32, and three family pets — were found dead, presumably of carbon monoxide poisoning, inside a car parked.

Post by Wrapitup Thu Nov 15, 2012 5:03 pm

November 15, 2012 10:16 AM

Ohio Murder-Suicide Update: Mom says grandmother, uncle not in "right minds" during alleged slayings of 3 children

By Crimesider Staff Topics Daily Blotter

(CBS/AP) TOLEDO, Ohio - An Ohio mother said Wednesday that her mother and brother weren't in their "right minds" when they allegedly killed her three children this week in what police believe was a murder-suicide.

Police said notes found at a Toledo house indicated that the grandmother and uncle of 5-year-old Madalyn, 7-year-old Logan and 10-year-old Paige Hayes planned to kill themselves and the children by funneling fumes from a pickup truck into a car where their five bodies were found Monday.

The children, their 54-year-old grandmother Sandy Ford, and their 32-year-old uncle Andy Ford, died of carbon monoxide poisoning, a coroner ruled Wednesday.

Mandy Hayes, the children's mother, told CBS affliate WTOL in Toledo that her mom was her best friend and she was close to her brother.

"I don't know what happened," Hayes said. "They weren't in their right minds. That's all I can say. Something snapped, where it just - I don't know. I can't explain it, really."

Hayes' husband, Chris, drew a different conclusion.

"I think she really did not want those kids to ever come home, is what the deal was there," he said of the grandmother in the WTOL interview. "She felt that she was their mother."

Investigators and family friends said the murder-suicide appears to stem from a family disagreement over where the children should live.

The children lived with their grandmother for the past three years when Mandy Hayes asked her mother to care for them after another son at home had behavior problems and was becoming disruptive, according to children services workers. Sandy Ford was angry when the children moved back into their parents' home within the past week, believing the youngsters would be better off with her.

Police were called to intervene twice last week, but they said they saw no signs the children were in danger.

Ford picked up the children from school Monday morning not long after their mother dropped them off, and the grandmother took them back to her home, police said.

Hayes said when the school called to tell her the kids were not there, she called police.

"I figured it was my mom that had snatched them," she said. She kept calling her mom but she never answered.

Chris Hayes said he also knew the grandmother was involved once he learned the children were not at the school.

"I told my wife to keep calling the police, telling them - look, find out what car they're in, if they're going anywhere - get an Amber Alert, something," he said.

Authorities were called to the home by the children's frantic grandfather after he discovered the letters and was unable to force open the garage door.

Firefighters used a sledgehammer to break down the garage door and found the children's bodies slumped inside the car along with their grandmother and uncle. Two hoses attached to the exhaust of a pickup truck pumped gas fumes through the car's rear window.

A funeral for the children is set for Monday in Toledo with visitation scheduled for this weekend.

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 Killed children’s mom gave police a suspect after they went missing.Hours later, the three children — along with Mrs. Ford, 56, her son, Andy Ford, 32, and three family pets — were found dead, presumably of carbon monoxide poisoning, inside a car parked. Empty Deaths of 3 children premeditated at least 4 days before they were killed

Post by Wrapitup Sat Nov 17, 2012 10:18 pm

Premeditation for the carbon monoxide deaths of three children started at least four days before they were apparently killed by their grandmother and uncle, who also died in the incident.

During a press conference Friday, Toledo police Capt. Wes Bombrys, said investigators found receipts, dated Nov. 8, for items found in the Harvest Lane garage where Paige Hayes, 10, Logan Hayes, 7, and Madalyn Hayes 5, were found dead inside of a car with their grandmother, Sandy Ford, 56, and Andy Ford, 32.

Police did not comment on whether the children knew what was happening, but said that in the car they found a note written by the children, along with food and coloring books.


Fire crews called to 5142 Harvest on Monday afternoon had to break into the unattached garage using a sledgehammer after Mrs. Ford's husband, Randy, 60, found "suspicious" notes and couldn't get into the garage, which had been barricaded shut.

Hoses in the exhaust of a running truck pumped fumes into the rear passenger window of a blue Honda Civic, where the family was sitting.

Police said Mrs. Ford and her husband had been taking care of the children since 2009 so the children's parents, Chris and Mandy Hayes, of Sylvania Township, could focus on a fourth child who had "behavioral issues."

Mrs. Hayes and Mrs. Ford began to discuss the children moving back in to the Hayes' home about a month before the deaths. Mrs. Ford apparently did not want the children to leave, apparently believing there were still "issues" at home.

Mrs. Hayes dropped her children off at Whiteford Elementary School at about 8:20 a.m. Monday. Mrs. Ford was waiting in the school's lobby, and took the children from school and apparently returned to the West Toledo home.

The school called Mrs. Hayes to let them know the children were not in class, at which time Mrs. Hayes called Sylvania Township police.

Chief Robert Boehme, who was also at the Friday press conference, said Mrs. Hayes, "never said the children were in imminent danger" and that a Sylvania Township officer went out to the house several times on Monday attempting to make contact with Mrs. Ford.

The officer also called cell phone numbers for Mrs. Ford, Mr. Ford, and Andy Ford. He also attempted to call Mr. Ford, who was at work Monday, but was not able to make contact with any of the family members.

At 1:25 p.m., police put out a state-wide all-points bulletin looking for the children. They also attempted, unsuccessfully, to locate Mrs. Ford's cellphone using a GPS tracker.

"We did everything we could," Chief Boehme said.

That afternoon, the Sylvania Township officer went back to the Harvest Lane home and made contact with Mr. Ford who had returned home from work. The officer asked Mr. Ford to try to contact his wife.

The officer left, and shortly after, Mr. Ford found a note, became concerned, and called Mrs. Hayes, who then called Sylvania Township police.

Once Mr. Ford realized he could not get into the garage, he called 911 at 3:17 p.m.

Police were on scene at 3:26 p.m.

All five, plus two family dogs and a cat, were pronounced dead at the scene.

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 Killed children’s mom gave police a suspect after they went missing.Hours later, the three children — along with Mrs. Ford, 56, her son, Andy Ford, 32, and three family pets — were found dead, presumably of carbon monoxide poisoning, inside a car parked. Empty Re: Killed children’s mom gave police a suspect after they went missing.Hours later, the three children — along with Mrs. Ford, 56, her son, Andy Ford, 32, and three family pets — were found dead, presumably of carbon monoxide poisoning, inside a car parked.

Post by Wrapitup Sat Nov 17, 2012 10:20 pm

Police: Deaths of Hayes children were planned days ahead

BY TAYLOR DUNGJEN AND VANESSA McCRAY
BLADE STAFF WRITERS

The deaths Monday of three children by carbon monoxide poisoning appear to have been planned days ahead by one or both of the two adult relatives who died with them, authorities believe.

Either Sandy Ford, 56, or her son Andy Ford, 32, started buying items Nov. 8 that police found four days later inside a West Toledo garage where Mrs. Ford, Mr. Ford, and Paige Hayes, 10, Logan Hayes, 7, and Madalyn Hayes, 5, were found dead. The children were Mrs. Ford’s grandchildren and Mr. Ford’s nieces and nephew.

Authorities unfolded a scenario Friday: The adults boarded up doors and windows to the unattached garage at 5142 Harvest Lane to make sure no one could see inside. They unplugged the overhead garage doors in case someone tried to use a garage door opener. As an extra precaution, the garage-door safety latches were thrown to ensure no one would get inside without effort.

The children were given snacks and coloring books while the five sat inside the back seat of Mr. Ford’s Honda Civic. They had their pets, two dogs and a cat. One of the kids wrote a note; police did not say to whom it was addressed.

Authorities say it’s unclear what the children thought: “I can’t tell you what a 10-year-old, a 7-year-old, and a 5-year-old can comprehend,” Toledo police Capt. Wes Bombrys said.

The Hayes family is trying to cope and hopes to learn answers to lingering questions. During a Friday interview, parents Mandy and Chris Hayes focused on remembering the children and giving thanks for community support. They recalled the three siblings as happy youngsters who enjoyed horseback riding and spending time together.

“ ... Their smiles every day, their laughs, just to hear them run through the house ... that’s something that we won’t hear from those three, but I still have my two,” Mr. Hayes said, referring to two surviving sons, a 9-year-old and a 10-month-old. “And, their memory will stay with us forever.”

In 2009, Mandy Hayes, Mrs. Ford’s daughter, asked her parents to take care of the three children at their West Toledo home so the couple could give their then-6-year-old son extra attention for “behavioral problems,” authorities say.

About a month before what police are calling a murder-suicide pact between Mrs. Ford and her son, Mrs. Ford and Mrs. Hayes began to talk of the possibility of the children moving back into the Hayeses’ Sylvania Township home, Toledo police Chief Derrick Diggs said. Mrs. Hayes said the timing was right to reunite the family under one roof because her son had received help and was on medication “that was making him stable.”

Mrs. Ford apparently disagreed with the children moving back in with their parents, documented in a Nov. 6 Toledo police report. At about 5:30 p.m. that day, Mrs. Hayes was returning the children to the Harvest Lane home when she and her mother began to quarrel, Chief Diggs said at the news conference.

Mrs. Ford told police she was assaulted by her daughter, requiring treatment at Flower Hospital for injuries to a shoulder and eye.

When Mrs. Ford reported the alleged assault to police, she told the officer, “that the family crisis is continuing … while the children are at the mother’s home in Sylvania Township,” Chief Diggs said. Toledo police also notified Sylvania Township of the alleged “issues.”

Police declined to discuss specifics of the son’s “behavioral issues.”

The next day, Sylvania Township police had an “interference with custody” confrontation with Mrs. Ford when she reportedly refused to return the children to Mrs. Hayes, Sylvania Township police Chief Robert Boehme said.

On Nov. 8, the children moved back into their parents’ home.

At about 10 a.m. Monday, officials from Whiteford Elementary called Mrs. Hayes to report her children were not in class. She dropped off the children at school at about 8:20 a.m., she told Sylvania Township police. Video surveillance at the school shows Mrs. Ford waiting in the school lobby and, as the children walked into the building, she escorted them back out.

A Sylvania Township police officer went to the Ford’s home repeatedly Monday, trying to make contact with anyone there. “We did everything we could,” Chief Boehme said.

Chief Boehme said Mrs. Hayes “never actually communicated that the children were in any kind of imminent danger,” and Mrs. Ford was still listed as the children’s primary emergency contact at school.

At 1:25 p.m., police issued an all-points bulletin for the children. During the day they tried to reach by phone Mrs. Ford, Andy Ford, and Mrs. Ford’s husband and the children’s grandfather, Randy Ford.

The last time the Sylvania Township officer was at the Harvest Lane home, sometime between 2:20 and 2:30 p.m., he spoke to Mr. Ford, who had just returned home from work. Not long after the officer left, Mr. Ford found “suspicious” notes from his wife, son, and grandchildren.

At 3:26 p.m., Toledo police and fire crews arrived, and firefighters broke into the garage using a sledgehammer. The five were pronounced dead at the scene.

Since news of the deaths spread across the country, offers of help have poured in. Mr. Hayes thanked John Dowling of Dowling Funeral Home for his assistance. Community members, neighbors, and strangers offered support and services, food, and kind words, the family said.

Mr. Hayes is a railroad conductor and carman. Mrs. Hayes is a stay-at-home mom. Photos of the children hang on the walls of their home. It pains her the baby won’t grow up with three of his older siblings. “That’s the hardest thing, because he’s never going to remember them,” she said.

Mr. Hayes’ brother Adam, 41, of San Diego, sat with the family during interviews Friday. He said the tragedy has yet to sink in, and called the family “rock-hard.”

Chris Hayes, added,“I see us as a family, that we have to rebuild. We have to move on slowly, and we will. It will take time.”

He and Mrs. Hayes said they haven’t seen and don’t know the contents of notes left at the scene, but both want to read them. Chris Hayes said he also wants to see police reports.

Mrs. Hayes said she hasn’t reconciled her emotions with the actions of her mother and brother. “It’s hard yet. I just can’t get past the fact that they did this,” she said. “It’s too hard right now.”

A Hayes family scholarship fund has been established for the surviving children; donations can be made at any Huntington Bank branch.

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 Killed children’s mom gave police a suspect after they went missing.Hours later, the three children — along with Mrs. Ford, 56, her son, Andy Ford, 32, and three family pets — were found dead, presumably of carbon monoxide poisoning, inside a car parked. Empty Re: Killed children’s mom gave police a suspect after they went missing.Hours later, the three children — along with Mrs. Ford, 56, her son, Andy Ford, 32, and three family pets — were found dead, presumably of carbon monoxide poisoning, inside a car parked.

Post by Wrapitup Sat Nov 17, 2012 10:56 pm

Baumhower: Hope, humanity and the Hayes

Written by Jeremy Baumhower | | [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

On Nov. 12, in West Toledo, less than one mile from where I was raised, three innocent voices were silenced. Paige, Logan and Madalyn Hayes were stolen from the world, in such a heinous way that it brought national media attention to Toledo. The manner of their departure and the circumstances surrounding the deaths will not be addressed here, because it is too heartbreaking, too grim and too dark. These words are to focus on the journey ahead.

My biggest fear of having a larger family, with four children, is the knock at the door or the late night phone call, where a police officer starts the conversation with, “I am sorry to be the one who tells you, but there has been an accident.” My fear became a real nightmare for Chris and Mandy Hayes of Sylvania as they learned the tragic end of three of the lives they brought into this world. To lose one child is devastating; to lose three is unimaginable.

What does one do in a time like this, when your neighbor, your brother, your fellow man is living the worst possible scenario? We act. We band together and we change the focus from tragedy to the future. No words, actions, prayers or miracles will ever bring those three beautiful faces back to us, but we can change the lives of those who remain.

The hope in this story is that two of the Hayes children are alive today. Although evil claimed a huge portion of a family’s existence, of its dreams, it did not win. The Hayes were blessed to have five children and we as a community are blessed that Blake, 9, and his baby brother Jayden, 10 months, will get a second chance. The hope is that something positive can come in one’s darkest moment.

If the Hayes’ tragedy has touched you, made you pause or shed a tear and you wanted to express your condolences, let’s show them the power of our community. Let us show this family and show the world the power and the beauty of humanity.

I reached out to the Hayes family through a mutual friend, and asked them if we could help. I wanted to make a positive difference in a horrific situation. Toledo Free Press and the Hayes’ neighbors have opened a College Scholarship Fund for Blake and Jayden Hayes. This family will take years, if not decades to regroup and move forward with their lives. The least and yet most powerful thing we can do is to eliminate the burden of cost of a higher education,for those siblings who survived.

The Hayes Children Scholarship Fund was designed to show a grieving family the power of our community, the compassion that Toledoans are known for and the promise of a brighter future. Visit any area Huntington Bank location and donate $1 for every child in your family. If you are like me and have been blessed to have four beautiful, healthy children, donate $4. You can of course give as much as you like; it’s the amount of people who donate that will provide a small beacon of hope, in a time where no light exists.

Three days after the Hayes say goodbye to Paige, Logan and Madalyn, we will celebrate Thanksgiving. Many Facebookers are participating in the “Give Thanks Challenge,” where every day in November, they post a small “Thank You” to someone or something important in their life. Instead of posting words on a web page, why don’t we make a difference and show our thanks by making a small donation to a family looking for any reason to be thankful?

Please join me and donate $1 for every child in your life to the Hayes Children Scholarship Fund, at any local Huntington Bank location. $1 is the going rate for the Tooth Fairy or an item on a “Value Menu” — it is not the size of the individual donation, but the amount of those donating that will express Toledo’s deepest condolences. As Chris and Mandy Hayes face every parent’s biggest fear, let them not face them alone.

One final request: please give an extra hug, and whisper an extra “I Love You,” to your babies tonight. Because some parents can not.

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 Killed children’s mom gave police a suspect after they went missing.Hours later, the three children — along with Mrs. Ford, 56, her son, Andy Ford, 32, and three family pets — were found dead, presumably of carbon monoxide poisoning, inside a car parked. Empty Re: Killed children’s mom gave police a suspect after they went missing.Hours later, the three children — along with Mrs. Ford, 56, her son, Andy Ford, 32, and three family pets — were found dead, presumably of carbon monoxide poisoning, inside a car parked.

Post by Wrapitup Tue Nov 20, 2012 2:44 am

Funeral services held for 3 slain children
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BY TAYLOR DUNGJEN
BLADE STAFF WRITER

First was Madalyn Hayes, the youngest of the three.

Her big brother, Logan, followed. Paige, the oldest, came last.

Each time one of the small wooden caskets was pushed from church altar to the doors after the funeral service, their brother, Blake, walked silently next to them.

The children's parents, Chris and Mandy Hayes, walked quietly behind.

Funeral services for the Hayes children, found dead of carbon monoxide poisoning Nov. 12 in their grandparents' garage, were held Monday morning at Sylvania's Olivet Lutheran Church on Monroe Street.

About 100 people attended the solemn, hour-long service.

During the services, Pastor Chrysanne Timm told Mr. and Mrs. Hayes she “could feel the power of love” when she went into their Sylvania Township home last week.

Love, she continued, “never gives up,” emphasizing the the importance of love throughout the service.

Madalyn, 5, Logan, 7, and Paige, 10, were found in the back seat of a car in the garage on Harvest Lane in West Toledo along with their grandmother, Sandy Ford, 56, and uncle, Andy Ford, 32, in what police called a murder/suicide plot by the two adults.

The children had been living with their grandparents and uncle since 2009 so that Mr. and Mrs. Hayes could focus their attention on another sibling who had "behavioral issues," but had moved back into their Sylvania Township home Nov. 8.

On Nov. 12, after Mrs. Hayes dropped off the children at Whiteford Elementary School, Mrs. Ford, who was waiting for her grandchildren in the school lobby, picked them up and apparently took them back to her West Toledo home.

After the school later notified Mrs. Hayes that the children were not in class, she called Sylvania Township police. School surveillance video showed police the children left with Mrs. Ford.

An officer went to the Harvest Lane home several times Monday and attempted to reach Mrs. Ford, Mr. Ford, and Randy Ford, Mrs. Ford's husband, by phone. Randy Ford returned home from work that afternoon and soon after found "suspicious" notes left by his wife, son, and grandchildren.

He called 911 at 3:17 p.m.; at 3:26 p.m., police and fire crews arrived and broke into the garage where they found the five, all dead.

A neighbor of the family, Shelby Yeager, 17, wrote and read a poem, “Three Little Angels,” during the services.

“Up, up, up, all the way to heaven, three little children of a family of seven, Paige, Logan, and Madalyn, may you rest in peace above, spreading your wings and your unconditional love,”
the Yeager youth read. The children's parents did not speak during the services.

After the services, the family and guests attended a luncheon at the church. There were no burial services afterward.

John Dowling, of Dowling Funeral Home, handled the funeral arrangements. On Saturday and Sunday, wakes – attended by 400 to 500 people – were held at the Sylvania funeral home, Mr. Dowling said.

The funeral home was decorated in artwork made by the children's schoolmates at Whiteford Elementary School.

“It was heartbreaking to read,” Mr. Dowling said. “ … It was truly a sad time. We lost three very viable people who probably would have contributed to society.”

Funeral services for the Fords were handled by Reeb Funeral Home in Sylvania. Additional details on the mother's and uncle's services were not made available.

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As a grandmother of 5, I can tell you with NO uncertainty that no matter what the circumstances were with the parents, there is NO WAY I could EVER even Think about taking their lives. And would bet anyone reading this feels the same. It's apparent this grandmother and uncle were completely insane!! cryingagain
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 Killed children’s mom gave police a suspect after they went missing.Hours later, the three children — along with Mrs. Ford, 56, her son, Andy Ford, 32, and three family pets — were found dead, presumably of carbon monoxide poisoning, inside a car parked. Empty Re: Killed children’s mom gave police a suspect after they went missing.Hours later, the three children — along with Mrs. Ford, 56, her son, Andy Ford, 32, and three family pets — were found dead, presumably of carbon monoxide poisoning, inside a car parked.

Post by Wrapitup Tue Nov 20, 2012 6:50 am

Selfish Granny Kills Self and Grandchildren

Murder-suicide eyed in deaths of 5 in Ohio garage

Kids’ mom in Ohio murder-suicide wanted them back

Grandmother, Uncle Plot Murder-Suicide, 3 Kids Die

I’ll be the first to say it sometimes kids can be a handful. As a mother of two special needs boys, I understand that they can be difficult to care for. With that being said, if you have a solid extended family it is natural to lean on them for a helping hand. That is what the mother and father of three children did when their other son became disruptive, but the maternal monster they asked for help did what is considered to be every mother’s worst nightmare.

Sandy Ford from Toledo, Ohio agreed to take on her daughter’s three children a few years prior because the children’s sibling was having serious emotional issues and physical outbursts that became dangerous. Their mother, Mandy Hayes, felt that it was in her children’s best interest to have them live with their grandmother until she could get the fourth child the help he needed. The children seemed to be very well cared for. Three years later, after the fourth child had received the help he needed, Hayes attempted to take the children home.

This is where Ford gets the award for being the most selfish bitch ever. Hayes regained custody of her children one week prior to the incident. According to reports, there were several domestic disturbances between mother and daughter in regard to the custody of the children. The police said that there was no indication of child abuse or other red flags that could have prepared them for what happened next. You see, Granny Dearest here had planned a murder/suicide with the help of her son a few days prior. She waited until Mandy had dropped them off at school then went and pulled them out. Randy Ford (Sandy’s Husband) arrived home that afternoon to discover that he could not get into his garage and found suspicious notes from his wife and son. When the authorities arrived they found 54-year-old Sandy Ford, her 32-year-old son, Andy Ford, and her grandchildren, 10-year-old Paige Hayes, 6-year-old Logan Hayes and 5-year-old Madalyn Hayes, all dead as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning. The garage windows and doors had been nailed shut while the vehicle was found with pipes running from the exhaust into the back window.

Five senseless deaths all because Sandy’s c**t wad ass did not want her daughter regaining custody of the children. This is a sad case all around because it seemed that everyone loved the children very much and they were well cared for. Just because one selfish person couldn’t get what she wanted, innocent lives were stolen. RIP Paige, Logan and Madalyn.

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