A HORRIFIC STORY MADE
NATIONAL HEADLINES.
A FAMILY OF FIVE FOUND DEAD IN A
MANSION.
THE FIRST HEARING FROM THE FIRST
PEOPLE TO ARRIVE ON THE SCENE,
AND THE PERSONAL TOLL IT'S TAKEN
ON A SMALL POLICE DEPARTMENT.
JUST SEEMED TO BE A NORMAL
HOME, AND SO TO PROCESS WHAT WE
HAD TO SEE IN THAT SEEMINGLY
NORMAL HOME IS WHAT MADE IT SO
DIFFICULT.
BRIAN SCHWARTZ SHOT AND
KILLED HIS WIFE AND THEIR THREE
CHILDREN IN SEPTEMBER BEFORE
TURNING THE GUN ON HIMSELF.
TONIGHT, WCCO'S COLIN SHARES HOW
THE DEATHS HAVE SHAKEN POLICE
AND WHY THEY'RE PUSHING FOR
OTHER FAMILIES TO FIND HOPE.
THIS WAS DEFINITELY A CALL
THAT I WON'T FORGET.
THAT 911 CALL CAME AROUND
NOON ON A THURSDAY.
CALLED AND SAID BRIAN HADN'T
SHOWN UP FOR WORK.
AND HIS KIDS HADN'T SHOWN UP
TO START SCHOOL.
EASILY ACQUIRED LIFE
INSURANCE POLICIES, DEATH
BENEFITS, SUICIDE CLAUSE, THINGS
LIKE THAT.
THAT MADE IT LOOK DIFFERENT THAN
A TYPICAL WELFARE CHECK.
SERGEANT JIM HAD NO IDEA JUST
HOW DIFFERENT WHEN HE WALKED
THROUGH AN UNLOCKED BACK DOOR OF
THIS GREENWOOD HOME.
HORRIFIC.
IT WAS THE WORST THING I'VE EVER
SEEN.
HE FIRST FOUND THE BODY OF
KAREN IN HER BEDROOM NEXT TO A
CORDLESS PHONE.
I WAS ALSO TERRIFIED BECAUSE
I KNEW THAT THERE WAS KIDS THAT
WERE MISSING THAT I DIDN'T KNOW
WHERE THEY WERE, AND I WAS
AFRAID OF WHAT I WAS GOING TO
FIND NEXT.
17-YEAR-OLD COLE, 15-YEAR-OLD
MADISON, AND 14-YEAR-OLD
BROOKLYN WERE ALL DEAD IN THEIR
OWN BEDS.
THEIR DAD, BRIAN, HAD KILLED
HIMSELF IN THE GARAGE.
IT TOOK ITS TOLL ON
EVERYBODY.
BUT IT'S WHAT DIDN'T STAND
OUT THAT DAY THAT STILL HAUNTS
THE 14-PERSON POLICE DEPARTMENT
OF SOUTH LAKE MINNETONKA.
IT JUST SEEMED TO BE A NORMAL
HOME, A SCHOOL BAG AND
CLOTHESLINED UP FOR THE FIRST
DAY OF SCHOOL.
THOSE WERE THE THINGS THAT
REALLY SEEMED TO HAVE A LASTING
IMPRESSION, ESPECIALLY ON ME.
DETECTIVE MIKE O'KEEFE LED
THE INVESTIGATION INTO FINDING
ANSWERS, SIFTING THROUGH
E-MAILS, LEGAL DOCUMENTS, AND
SEVERAL HOME SAFES.
AN INTERVIEW WITH BRIAN'S OFFICE
MANAGER BECAME PERHAPS THE MOST
TELLING PIECE OF ALL.
BRIAN FOUNDED ALLNURSES.COM,
A SOCIAL MEDIA AND SEEMINGLY
SUCCESSFUL WEB SITE MORE THAN 20
YEARS AGO.
THAT OFFICE MANAGER TOLD POLICE
SHE HANDLED ALL OF THE COMPANY'S
AND THEIR PERSONAL BILLS, BUT
EARLIER THAT SUMMER, BRIAN ASKED
TO GET UP TO SPEED.
SHE SAYS IT'S WHEN HE FIRST
REALLY LEARNED WHAT IT COST TO
RUN HIS BUSINESS AND HIS
LIFESTYLE, INCLUDING PAYING
QUARTERLY TAXES OF OVER
$200,000.
HIS COLLEAGUES HAD CONCERNS OVER
STEEP REVENUE CUTS AND A LARGE
DEFAMATION LAWSUIT AGAINST HIS
COMPANY LED TO SEVERE ANXIETY IN
BRIAN.
HE BEGAN SEEING A THERAPIST.
HE WAS PRESCRIBED MEDICATION.
A NEIGHBOR TOLD POLICE JUST
DAYS BEFORE HIS DEATH, BRIAN
MADE A HAND GESTURE IN THE SHAPE
OF A GUN, PUT IT TO HIS HEAD
SAYING, "IT'S JUST
OVERWHELMING."
DESPITE EVIDENCE OF FINANCIAL
AND MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, SOUTH
LAKE POLICE COULD NEVER
ESTABLISH A CLEAR MOTIVE.
INVESTIGATORS CLOSED THE CASE
AROUND CHRISTMAS TIME.
WE'RE NEVER GOING TO HAVE A
CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF WHY.
THAT IS WHAT PROBABLY MAKES US
THINK ABOUT IT EVERY DAY.
WE'LL NEVER KNOW EXACTLY WHAT
HAPPENED IN THERE.
WE JUST KNOW THE FINAL OUTCOME.
AS A FATHER HIMSELF,
DETECTIVE O'KEEFE ADMITS HIS
PERSONAL STRUGGLE HAD BEEN
FOCUSSED BEFORE ON HIS FEELINGS
ABOUT BRIAN.
THEY DON'T KNOW THE SIDE OF
HIM THAT I SAW, AND I DON'T KNOW
THE SIDE OF HIM THAT THEY SAW.
WHAT HAPPENED IN THAT HOUSE DOES
NOT REALLY DEFINE WHO HE WAS.
A SNOW-COVERED TEDDY BEAR IS
THE ONLY SIGN OF WHAT HAPPENED
HERE FIVE MONTHS AGO.
AS POLICE NOW ONLY HOPE OTHERS
WILL SPEAK UP IF THEY SENSE
TROUBLE IN THEIR OWN FAMILIES.
YOU NOTICE SOMETHING IN
YOURSELF OR IN A LOVED ONE THAT
IS DIFFERENT, YOU NEED TO TALK
ABOUT IT.
PEOPLE NEED TO TALK TO SOMEBODY.
FAMILY MEMBERS DECLINED TO BE
INTERVIEWED FOR THIS STORY.
KAREN'S SISTER TOLD ME THEY'RE
FOCUSSED ON COPING AND WORKING
THROUGH THEIR GRIEF.
IN A STATEMENT, SHE SAID THE
FAMILY'S DEEPEST HOPE IS FOR
THIS TO NEVER HAPPEN TO ANYONE