Former pastor who shot himself after killing wife, son ‘choked out’ surviving daughter too, police say
Richard Logan, a former pastor and CEO of faith-based anti-poverty nonprofit Attack Poverty who fatally shot himself after killing his wife and young son in the family home, also tried to strangle his daughter who survived, police revealed Thursday.
While authorities in Sugarland, Texas, are still investigating the motive for Richard Logan's actions, the Fort Bend County Medical Examiner said Logan shot his wife, Diana, 48, multiple times and then shot their 11-year-old son, Aaron, once, KHOU reported.
He then drove to San Marcos where his daughter, Ambrielle, is in her final year at Texas State University and tried to strangle her before taking his own life, police said.
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“Police believe Richard Logan shot and killed his wife and son in their home before driving to San Marcos in Guadalupe County, physically assaulting his adult daughter and committing suicide. The handgun recovered at the scene of the suicide is believed to be the same weapon that was used to kill Logan’s wife and son. Forensic testing results are pending,” Sugar Land Police said in a statement, noting that Logan’s daughter did not report the physical assault.
Authorities further told ABC News affiliate KTRK that Logan’s wife and son were killed sometime over the weekend of Feb. 8-9. The family’s pastor at River Pointe Church said he last saw them together on Saturday about 5 p.m. They believe Logan tried strangling Ambrielle on Monday evening and then sometime between that night and Tuesday around 8 a.m. he fatally shot himself.
According to news station KPRC, police officers went to the home of the 53-year-old CEO to perform a welfare check after law enforcement in Guadalupe County informed them that Logan’s body was found with what appeared to be a single, self-inflicted gunshot wound on the property of a company called TAS Environmental.
Police Chief Eric Robins said no one answered the door and when they eventually gained access to the home they found the bodies of Logan’s wife as well as their 11-year-old son.
He said the bodies of Diana and Aaron showed signs of trauma and gunshot wounds. They also appeared to have been dead for at least several hours.
Staff at River Pointe Church, where the family were members and where Logan served as a missions pastor for several years and Diana Logan also served as a small group leader, were shocked.
"We knew the Logans very, very well,” pastor Patrick Kelley, a friend of the Logans for 15 years, said, according to KHOU. "And something like this, their death, as tragic as it is, is something you cannot predict or foresee."
He added, "I stand here in shock with everyone else who knew these precious people. I think the healing part and the direction we’ll give is to be together and voice your grief, because we have a shared grief in this case."
Logan’s nonprofit, Attack Poverty, said he started the work in 2011 after being moved by a desire to transform the lives of people in need through community partnership. It has since evolved into a global organization “that serves locally, adopting pockets of poverty and launching what we call ‘Friends Communities.’”
“These are long-term commitments that require mutual relationships and collaborative efforts with local organizations, churches, residents, and stakeholders committed to community transformation. Our community programs include: in-school student support, after school programs, literacy, Adult GED completion, English as a Second Language classes, job readiness training and home repair,” the organization’s website said.
