Njoki Muchemi: Missed red flags would have saved mother, daughters lives

The Stanton family

Mary Njoki Muchemi (right) was killed alongside her two daughters on Saturday by her husband. Left: Ms Muchemi with her husband Gary Stanton and their daughters Brianna Stanton (carried) and Andrianna Stanton.

Photo credit: Pool

Njoki Muchemi and her two children's lives would have been saved had someone acted on the missed red flag concerning her husband’s mental well-being.

Ms Mucheni and her two daughters were killed on Saturday by her husband in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, in what police suspect to be murder-suicide.

Several media reports indicated that Gary Stanton, 60, shot dead his wife Mary Njoki Muchemi Stanton, 49, and daughters Andrianna Stanton, 17, and Brianna Stanton, 11, in their house in the Valley Station neighbourhood.

Going by his recent posts on social media, it appears Mr Stanton was undergoing hours of mental health illnesses and one of his last posts on Facebook showed how dire the situation was for him.

On November 22, the deceased husband and father posted that he would no longer follow his doctor's prescriptions adding they were not helping him

"Therapists tell me I can work through, but the medication is not working. I hate the way I am feeling inside. Mental health is grabbing a strong hold on me. I hate what I am feeling" he said on November 22.

However, the feelings of the illness must have dissipated because just six days before the gruesome murder of his family and alleged suicide, Mr Stanton appeared happy and even celebrated his wife's birthday.

"Happy birthday to my wife, the love of my life," he posted.

However, come Saturday morning, the worst happened, and the entire Stanton family was no more in the quiet neighbourhood of Valley Station in Louisville where locals are busy preparing for the coming Christmas holidays.