Two years ago, Emily Janzen belted out Nat King Cole’s Orange Colored Sky backed by her high school jazz band with all the confidence and personality of a young woman determined to see her name in lights one day.

Things did not go as planned. Over the next two years, Janzen, who turned 19 in February, was in almost constant pain from migraine headaches. It became impossible for her to continue her career, go to school or even hang out with friends.

Her Twitter account details a growing sense of helplessness and frustration, punctuated by occasional bursts of gratitude and optimism. Her mother Laurel’s Twitter account reflects a family’s plunge into despair as they struggled to help Emily cope with the debilitating headaches.

The charred remains of the Janzen family home east of Chilliwack was a crime scene Friday, its occupants presumed dead in a triple murder-suicide that shocked the quiet Rosedale community.

Randy Janzen, Emily’s father, confessed in a Facebook post to shooting his daughter Emily because she suffered from terrible migraines and depression that caused her great pain.

He goes on to say, he then shot his wife Laurel because “a mother should never have hear the news her baby has died.”

He writes that he has “great remorse” for his actions, and that his family is in heaven and pain free. He also alludes to shooting his sister Shelly because he “did not want her to have to live with this shame” that he “caused all alone.”

“Over the last 10 days, I have done some of the worst things I could have ever imagined a person doing,” the post says. “I took a gun and shot her in the head and now she is migraine-free and floating in the clouds on a sunny afternoon, her long beautiful brown hair flowing in the breeze, a true angel.”

It remains unknown whether Randy Janzen was in the home when it burned down overnight. But police reported Friday that their suspect in the case is dead.

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According to his post, Emily had been plagued with migraines since elementary school, and they caused her to miss two years at the University of B.C., which he writes, “broke her heart.” He said he did not want to see his “little girl hurt for one more second.”

The post ends with “Rest in peace my little family. Love, Daddio xoxo.”

Just after 3 p.m. Thursday, RCMP learned that a man had confessed on social media to murdering family members, Sgt. Stephanie Ashton of the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team said at a news conference Friday. RCMP went to a home in Langley, the residence of Randy’s sister Shelly Janzen, where they found one body.

Officers then went to a home in the 10000-block of Llanberis Way in Rosedale and tried to contact a man inside the house.

Neighbour Nelly Trouwborst, who lives two houses down from the crime scene, said she heard police on a megaphone asking someone to come out of the house with their hands up.

“And then they started shooting, I don’t know if it was inside or outside (the house),” she said.

Neighbour Bernie den Hertog and his wife Jenny were relaxing in their home when they heard two bangs. Ten minutes later, the police were at their door, telling them they had to leave because a house was on fire.

“When we went out, the house was one big flame,” den Hertog said.

Ashton said the residence caught fire four hours after police surrounded it and was quickly engulfed in flames.

“This investigation is extremely complex, involving two crime scenes and potentially multiple victims. At this time, IHIT believes that this incident is not random and the suspect and victims were related to each other,” said Ashton. She did not name the deceased.

Trouwborst said she didn’t know the family who lived in the house, but described them as “nice, quiet people” who went to work every day and had a daughter who went to school.

“Why it happened, I don’t know ... This is a beautiful neighbourhood, it is so quiet here. … I can’t believe it.”

Philip Wheaton, a pastor at Bethel Mennonite Church, has known the Janzen family for years.

Randy and Shelly’s parents were Langley farmers and among the first Mennonites to immigrate to the area. They had helped establish the church in 1936, and introduced their daughter Shelly to members of the congregation while she was still a baby.

Shelly was a gentle, quiet individual with an exceptionally loving personality, said Wheaton. She had lived in pain with an arthritic condition and had a hearing impairment, things that “seemed to wall her off from people a little bit.” But she had a handful of people who truly invested in her and who she deeply cared for in return, he said.

Shelly had lived with her parents her entire life, and worked as a pet groomer at Birch Bark Kennels in Aldergrove for at least 15 years. She had a habit of donating all of her tips to animal rescue, recalled Dodie Zilke at Birch Bark.

After Shelly’s father died about a decade ago, she and her mother — since deceased — moved to a house on 271A Street. It was in that home that police found a single body on Thursday.

Wheaton said the last time he saw Shelly was during church on April 26. He said he is planning a service for her this Sunday, but it has been difficult finding a next of kin because every member of her immediate family is now dead.

Wheaton did not know Randy as well as Shelly, but had spoken with the man about a dozen times over the past 10 years, most recently after the death of his mother in August.

“He was friendly, outgoing, pleasant, cared deeply for his family,” he said, adding that Randy’s love for them was “obvious in one sense, but misguided in another.”

Wheaton did not know Randy’s wife Laurel well, and Emily only a little better. He recalled having booked the young singer at the church a few years back, but she had to cancel the gig on account of a migraine headache.

Shane Dwight was a childhood friend of Randy Janzen. The pair were members of a band called Marauder about 15 years ago. Dwight was the drummer and Janzen was lead singer.

Although Dwight hadn’t spoken to Janzen in a decade, he was shocked when he read his Facebook post, saying that he always knew Janzen to be a “kind and loving family man,” and he wasn’t aware of any drug or mental health issues.

“He was a hardworking man, someone who loved his family more than anything,” he said, adding when they were in the band, Janzen was seen as a “big brother” figure, someone who always wanted to help fix problems. “I know he loved his daughter more than anything and was so proud of her.”

The Twitter account of Laurel Janzen, Emily’s mother, makes frequent references to migraines and people who suffer from chronic pain.

“Watching someone I love in unbearable pain for 18 months and I feel helpless,” she wrote March 9, mentioning Fraser Health in the tweet.

Emily’s Twitter account makes frequent references to being in pain and being in the hospital. Many of her posts spoke openly of her despair, but there were occasional moments of joy reflected in her words too.

“I’m so tired of people making me feel guilty for being too sick to hang out. Do you think I want to sit at home or in the hospital all day? NO”

And then days later, an up moment. “Whenever I start to feel sorry for myself, I just thank God I’m still alive,” Janzen tweeted April 24. “I complain about all the pain, but at least I’m here to feel it.”

A tribute to Emily Janzen was posted on Facebook by the Chilliwack School of Performing Arts on Friday and a memorial Facebook page had been set up.

“Today we celebrate the incomparable Emily Janzen. A former student and instructor, forever a part of our CSOPA family,” the post states. “We will fondly remember her bright smile, beautiful voice and amazing spirit. She will be greatly missed. Our condolences go out to all her family and friends.”

With research from Vancouver Sun librarian Kate Bird

ksinoski@vancouversun.com

ticrawford@vancouversun.com

tcarman@vancouversun.com

mrobinson@vancouversun.com

Randy Janzen's Facebook post:

Over the last 10 days I have done some of the worst things I could have ever imagined a person doing.First to do with my dear,sweet loving daughter Emily.The best little girl two parents could ever hope for.She was talented and smart and filled out hearts with her laughter.

She was always willing to help with a smile even when she was feeling lousy.Emily excelled at so many things but slowly had to stop almost everything because of the migraines.(But when it effected her beloved singing it took a part of her soul).

She has been very ill with migraines that have plagued her since Elementary School.This has caused her to miss two years at UBC which completely broke her heart.I don't think anyone really knew how much pain Emily was in on a daily basis and the severe depression that these migraines caused her.

Emily watched her friends from high school move on with their lives while hers was spent wrenching into a puke tray and hours at the Emergency Rm.Since Oct/Nov her migraines have escalated to excruciating again and I just could not see my little girl hurt for one more second.She had shown unimaginable strength through a lot of migraine pain over the years and always seemed try and look on the bright side and always loved talking about things "When I get better lets do this and let's do that".

I wish sweetheart.Emily had tried everything to get better but nothing seemed to help her. I took a gun and shot her in the head and now she is migraine free and floating in the clouds on a sunny afternoon,her long beautiful brown hair flowing in the breeze,a true angel.Then I shot Laurel because a mother should never have hear the news her baby has died.

Then a couple of days later my sister Shelly because I did not want her to have to live with this shame I have caused all alone.Now my family is pain free and in heaven.I have great remorse for my actions and feel like the dirt that I am.I am taking full responsibility for my actions of these murders.So sorry to anyone I have hurt.Rest in peace my little family Love Daddio xoxo

Some of Emily and Laurel Janzen's tweets about Emily's migraines:

Laurel Janzen — Jan 9, 2015

Back in the #ER with @emmers_janzen. #FamilyFriday #migraine #cgh #soweary

Emily Janzen ­— Jan. 10, 2015

In two years I haven't gone more than 12 hours without a headache livin the dream

Laurel Janzen — Jan. 25 2015

So lost. My daughter has suffered #daily #migraine #headaches for 515 days. #broken

Laurel Janzen — Feb. 4, 2015

It would be so helpful if ER doctors had a clue about chronic migraine treatment #education #listentothepatient @Fraserhealth

Emily Janzen — March 5, 2015

I am literally too sick for life

Laurel Janzen — March 9, 2015

Watching someone I love in unbearable pain everyday for 18 months and I feel helpless. #migraine #weneedhelp

Emily Janzen — March 24, 2015

I need this life to be over

Emily Janzen — April 19, 2015

I loooooove hanging out with a puke bucket all day instead of going on dates and adventures, clearly I'm blowing off everyone by choice

Emily Janzen — April 24, 2015

Whenever I start to feel sorry for myself, I just thank God I'm still alive. I complain about all the pain, but at least I'm here to feel it.

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