SACO — Funerals for Heather Smith and her three children are scheduled today in Phoenix, Arizona.
Services will be held for Heather Smith, 35, along with 12-year-old Jason Montez, 7-year-old Noah Montez and 4-year-old Lily Smith.
Police say the four were killed by Heather Smith’s husband, Joel Smith, 33, who shot and killed his family before taking his own life on June 26 at their apartment in the RiverView complex at 35 Water St.
All three children were born in Arizona, and the family moved to Saco four years ago, according to Heather Smith’s obituary, which is posted online by the Shadow Mountain Mortuary in Phoenix.
State Police Sgt. Chris Harriman said the couple was having financial problems.
Heather Smith had told a family friend the night of the shooting that her husband had threatened suicide earlier that week by pointing a gun to his head, but there is no indication that help was sought after that incident, according to Maine Department of Public Safety Spokesman Steve McCausland.
Joel Smith’s father, Stephen Smith, told WMTW-TV that his son was struggling to control his drinking while his daughter-in-law battled opiate addiction. He said he believes his son was suffering from the effects of alcohol withdrawal before the shooting, and that he regrets not forcing him into a hospital to get help.
Comments are not available on this story. Read more about why we allow commenting on some stories and not on others.
We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others.
We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion.
You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is also found on our FAQs.
Show less