Andrea Roberts

Background

Andrea Roberts was a 41-year-old stay-at-home mother. Her husband, Michael Lewis Roberts, was also 41 and was self-employed running his own consulting business. They had two children, Micayla Roberts, 11, and Dylan Roberts, 7.

Neighbors described the family as active in school activities and community sports, and said Andrea Roberts volunteered as a room mother in her children’s classes. A neighbor also described Andrea Roberts as “couldn’t say no.” Michael Roberts was described as a caring father who “ran his own consulting business.”

The offence

Four people died in what police described as a triple murder-suicide in Flower Mound, northwest of Dallas, in an affluent neighborhood. Police said Andrea Roberts killed her husband Michael Lewis Roberts and her children, Micayla Roberts and Dylan Roberts, while they were asleep. Police then said she turned the gun on herself.

Each of the four victims suffered “a single gunshot wound to the head.” Police said the two children were found in their beds “as if they were asleep or going to sleep.” Police said the shootings occurred sometime between 10 p.m. Monday and 4 a.m. Tuesday, and neighbors did not report hearing gunshots. Police had not determined the order of the shootings.

Officers found Andrea Roberts on the bed in the master bedroom next to her husband. Police found a .38-caliber handgun in Mrs. Roberts’ hand.

Investigation

Investigators reviewed handwritten suicide notes left in the house. Andrea Roberts left “two lengthy handwritten notes” that indicated she shot her husband and two children before turning the handgun on herself. Investigators had said they still had no motive in the deaths.

Flower Mound police Lt. Wendell Mitchell said detectives were reviewing a suicide note and that the note “did not give us a clear motive.” In a later account, Mitchell said the note “explained in the note she was taking the lives of her family, but she did not leave anything we could determine as a motive.”

Police said toxicology reports were pending and toxicology tests would take four weeks to complete. A spokesperson for the Tarrant County medical examiner’s office, Linda Anderson, said it was not yet known whether Mrs. Roberts had an illness or drugs in her body.

Police released a statement that their investigation “has revealed medical history indicating that Mrs. Roberts did not have a known terminal illness,” and said they included that information in a news release in response to rumors in the neighborhood. Police would not elaborate on the medical history. Another account said police had said the couple’s medical history indicated Andrea Roberts did not have a terminal illness.

Police also stated that their investigation included determining that each of the victims was shot in their bedroom, while the order was still under investigation.

Arrest

No arrests were made.

Officers had responded to a domestic dispute call at the Roberts home in January after the couple had a verbal disagreement. Police determined the couple got into a verbal argument and “no charges were filed,” and “no one was injured” and “no one was arrested.”

Trial

No trial information was provided.

Sentencing

No sentencing information was provided.

Appeals

No appeal information was provided.

Outcome

Andrea Roberts died by suicide by shooting herself.

Police described the deaths as a triple murder-suicide with four people dead: Michael Lewis Roberts, Micayla Roberts, Dylan Roberts, and Andrea Roberts herself.

Aftermath

Neighbors and friends left flowers, signs, letters, and stuffed animals at the front door after the bodies were discovered. By Tuesday evening, neighbors had left flowers and signs on the front porch of the red brick home, including a sign reading, “We love you Roberts family.” After the bodies were discovered, a later account said a day later the subdivision was quiet and remembrances had been removed.

Nearly 100 people gathered for a vigil in front of the family’s home on Tuesday night. The Lewisville school district sent an e-mail notifying parents that it would make counselors available for students and parents on Monday at a middle school, and the service would be offered for free from 9 a.m. to noon at Lamar Middle School, where Micayla was supposed to attend sixth grade this fall. Lamar Middle School was described as being at 4000 Timber Creek Road in Flower Mound.

The bodies were released to the Tarrant County Medical Examiners Office.

A neighbor, Tim Warren, and Michael Roberts’ mother checked on the family when Michael Roberts missed a business meeting after not showing up for a planned business trip. The Allenpub.com account said officers responded to a deceased persons call at 9:55 a.m. on July 31, in the 1800 block of Marble Pass Drive, after receiving a 911 call from Tim Warren. Upon arrival, officers discovered four bodies. The Allenpub.com account said the neighbor who was a key holder entered the residence after walking into the house with Mr. Roberts’ mother and found the bodies, then dialed 911.

Other details

A neighbor, Tim Warren, said: “They seemed like the ideal couple, the ideal mom and dad.” Warren also said: “Their kids were their lives.”

Charlotte Carson said: “She would always volunteer and step up,” and: “One of her biggest flaws was she couldn’t say no.”

Lt. Wendell Mitchell said: “The note itself did not give us a clear motive.”

Lt. Wendell Mitchell said: “She explained in the note she was taking the lives of her family, but she did not leave anything we could determine as a motive,” and: “They were shot sometime during the night. They were found in their beds. It did appear they had all gone to bed,” and he declined to release specific contents of Andrea Roberts’ suicide note.

Police found Andrea Roberts’ handwritten suicide note(s) in the house; police said they would not release copies.

A separate referenced comparison in the accounts described a different case in Ohio involving homicides and a coroner comment that murder-suicide was “certainly a possibility,” along with details about bodies found in Delhi Township, but those facts were presented only as context within the accounts and not as part of the Flower Mound case.