'He did it because he couldn't see his kids': Ex-husband shot dead wife and two children before killing himself... while on bail for holding them hostage



Steven Lake shot dead wife, son and daughter at home

Court order banned him from contact with her and kids



He was already on bail for holding them hostage in 2010

Kept gun by bed and threatened to use knife on her



Fatal shooting is almost exactly one year after incident

Shooter's father blames all four deaths on court order



An estranged husband tragically shot to death his estranged wife and their two children before turning the gun on himself.

Steven Lake, 37, went to the home of estranged wife Amy Lake, 38, in Dexter, Maine, killed her and shot son, Coty, 13, and daughter Monica, 12.

He was on bail after allegedly holding his family hostage at gunpoint last year and Mrs Lake had been trying hard to protect herself, police said.

Shooting: Steven Lake, right, went to the home of wife Amy Lake, left, killed her and then shot son, Coty, 13, right centre, and daughter Monica, 12, left centre

The killings were all the more tragic because Mrs Lake took court action to protect herself and her colleagues knew about the situation.

But his father said the tragedy would have been avoided if his son had been allowed to visit the kids.



MAINE SHOOTING TIMELINE

14 June 2010 Steven Lake allegedly holds family hostage at gunpoint 21 July 2010 Amy Lake files for a protection from abuse order against him

Charged with threatening her

11 November 2010 He allegedly has contact with her and is charged with bail and protection order breach

Trial set for hostage and bail breach charges in July 2011 13 June 2011



8am

Policeman checks on her after she doesn't show up for work and Lake's car is seen in her driveway

Officer hears gunshots inside

9am Backup arrives from several departments, they surround the house and attempt to make contact inside

2pm

State police armoured vehicle moves in and bodies are found in the living room

‘It is frustrating when someone has taken the appropriate steps and we still end up with a despicable act of domestic violence,’ a public safety spokesman said.

Lake was frustrated by a custody dispute and upset at having to miss Coty’s eighth-grade graduation on Friday, a relative said.

The background



He had been charged last year with holding his wife and children hostage at gunpoint in the town of Wellington, where he most recently lived.



It happened almost exactly a year before Monday's incident.

Lake kept a holstered 9mm handgun on the headboard of his bed, a prosecutor said.

He had also threatened to take a knife to his wife and do things 'you wouldn't do to farm animals', District Attorney Christopher Almy revealed.

He did not think much could have been done differently as there was a protection and bail order in place.



Mrs Lake was afraid her husband would kill her and their kids before going after someone else - and she wouldn't be able to warn anyone.



Lake was free on bail, pending an upcoming trial.

A protection from abuse order had been issued against him barring contact with his family.

Mrs Lake was in the process of divorcing him and police drove by every day to check on her, neighbours and relatives said.

The killing

A policeman went to check on her on Monday morning after she did not arrive at work and a colleague spotted Lake’s car in her driveway.

The officer heard multiple gunshots outside the house and called for help, before several sheriff departments surrounded the house.

Court order: Lake was frustrated by not being able to see his son Coty, left, and daughter Monica, right

Police do not know when Lake turned up but believe any plan he had was interrupted when the officer arrived - and that's when the killings occurred.

‘Negotiators from state police tried in vain for over two hours to contact Lake, by phone and public address system,’ a police spokesman said.

Six hours after the first officer arrived, a state police armoured vehicle with a battering ram moved in and officers found the bodies in the living room.

Some of the victims had been shot multiple times - and he had poured a flammable liquid around the home but it failed to ignite, officials said.

Crime scene: A policeman went to check on Mrs Lake at her house after she did not arrive at work and a colleague spotted Lake's car in her driveway

The reaction



Lake's father, George Lake, said he did not think his son would do what he did - and 'would have called an officer of the law' if he had thought otherwise.



‘It is frustrating when someone has taken the appropriate steps and we still end up with a despicable act of domestic violence'

Stephen McCausland

Public safety spokesman

Mr Lake added that supervised visits to the children would have prevented the killings.



'This would have never ever (have) happened if he could have seen his children,' he told WABI TV5.



David Vautier's next-door neighbours are Amy Lake's parents, Ralph and Linda Bagley, who lost their daughter and two grand-children on Monday.



'Everyone knew Steve was going to flip out,' he told the Bangor Daily News. 'Everyone knew something bad was going to happen.'



Local pastor Reverend Will Walters, of New Hope Baptist Church, criticised the lack of protection for Mrs Lake.

Distraught: Relatives of the victims console each other after Lake shot and killed his estranged wife, two children and turned the gun on himself

‘This should not happen,’ he said. ‘We should make sure things like this never again happen to our women.’

'Everyone knew Steve was going to flip out. Everyone knew something bad was going to happen'

David Vautier

neighbour of Amy Lake's parents

She taught at a school in Dexter, where her children also attended.



Melissa Gudroe’s daughter was taught by Mrs Lake and described the death ‘a huge loss for the school (and) for the kids’.

Lake at one time owned his own heating company, but most recently worked for another company, a relative said.