The Lovell Family

At this point, we don't know details as to why Thomas Lovell killed his wife before he killed himself.

We do know that he chose to leave his 3-year-old stepson to spend his life without his mother.

Kenosha -- A man and his wife, married June 9, were found dead in an apparent murder-suicide in their home, where their 3-year-old child spent hours before authorities discovered the deaths, police said yesterday.

Relatives called police about 8 p.m. Wednesday, after becoming concerned that the husband and wife didn't show up at work at the Kenosha County-owned Brookside Care Center and had missed appointments.

The 3-year-old boy let a relative in the home. Police wouldn't specify where the bodies were found or whether the boy knew of the deaths.

"Once the child woke up, he was in the home alone all day," police Lt. Ron Bartholomew said.

The child was being cared for by family members.

Bartholomew said Thomas Lovell, Jr., 35, had strangled his wife, Jennifer Lovell, 24, early Wednesday and then hanged himself.

By the time police arrived, "it was apparent the bodies had been there for quite some time," Bartholomew said.

The Kenosha County medical examiner performed autopsies Thursday afternoon, but results were not immediately available.

Thomas Lovell, Jr. left a note that indicated responsibility and gave reasons for the deaths, Bartholomew said. He declined to release the information with the investigation still going on.

...Neighbors said they weren't aware of any problems.

"I never would have known anything was wrong," next-door neighbor Shanise West said.

..."[Jennifer Lovell] seemed really nice and he seemed really normal," [Andrea Lindsley, who lives across the street,] said.

She said Jennifer Lovell told her that her husband was the only father in the life of her 3-year-old son, who was Thomas Lovell Jr.'s stepson.

Bottom line: Thomas Lovell is a murderer. Jennifer Lovell is a victim.

Hopefully, her 3-year-old won't carry around any vivid memories of what he experienced the day of their deaths.

What's heartbreaking is the possibility that the little boy may go through his life with very few memories of his mother.