'It drove him to insanity': Father 'kills infant son with gunshot to the head days after the child's mother left him'
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Utah father Joshua Petersen is under arrest after allegedly murdering his infant son in what was to have been the first step in a horrific murder suicide just days after the child's mother left him.
Petersen, 21, allegedly shot his 5-month-old son, Ryker Petersen, Friday afternoon at his home in American Fork.
Investigators said he laid Ryker down on the couch, walked to the other room where he loaded a single .22 round into his rifle, then returned to fire the shot into his baby's head.
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Utah's Joshua Petersen, 21, is accused of murdering his infant son, Ryker, pictured in his arms, as the first step in a horrific murder suicide
Petersen allegedly fired a single bullet in Ryker's head then attempted to turn the gun on himself before a relative stopped him
A relative stopped him before he could turn the gun on himself.
Ryker was pronounced dead at a Salt Lake City hospital, the Salt Lake Tribune reported.
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SharePolice arrested Petersen and booked him into Utah County Jail on suspicion of aggravated murder, which is a first-degree felony.
He has cooperated with investigators since his arrest, said Sgt. Greg Ludlow, who said the motive was still uncertain but that Petersen may have been planning the shooting for up to a month.
Petersen's Facebook feed was dedicated to his son, constantly posting pics of the infant and talking about how much he loved him
Petersen, who was said to struggle with depression, often posted status updates referencing bad days and how his son got him through
In a statement issued late Saturday, the family said Ryker's mother, Amanda Merrill Pilling, was heartbroken.
'Her sweet baby Ryker was a treasure and she misses him immensely,' read the statement, written by family spokesman and Amanda's brother, Milo Merrill.
'Our hearts go out to all of you who are suffering for the loss of baby Ryker, including the father’s family. We cannot imagine how hard this must be for you and we send our love and support to you.'
Pilling's family asked that people trust God alone to judge what happened, even though it was 'easy to jump to conclusions and judgement when a tragedy like this occurs.'
Petersen and Ryker's mother, Amanda Pilling, were described by relatives as having a volatile relationship
Relatives said Pilling dumped Petersen for good only a few days before Ryker was killed
Petersen's family said he struggled with depression his entire life but that Ryker was a source of joy for him
They also thanked all those who had reached out to them.
'We will not let this sadness consume us,' they said.
In an interview with the Desert News, Ryker's grandmother, Tawnya Judd, said that Pilling had
JOSHUA PETERSEN'S TROUBLING FACEBOOK POSTS SPEAK OF DEPRESSION AND HIS LOVE FOR HIS SON
Almost all Petersen shared with the world through social media was sadness, except for those moments he was with his infant son Ryker.
10/22/2012 - 'my baby is coming tommarow i cant wait'
10/26/2012 - 'So glad to be home with baby Ryker :)'
02/21/2013 - 'its been a bad day hope everyone else day is good'
02/27/2013 - 'not cool i dont have my son'
03/02/2013 - 'oh my bad day'
03/16/2013 - 'had a great day with my son the happy times'
03/27/2013 - 'its a sad day but not when i have my son he makes me happy'
broken up with Petersen on Tuesday.
'She finally kicked him out,' Judd said. 'She said, 'Mom, you'll be proud of me. I finally told him I'm never going back.''
She belies the split with Petersen, who she characterized as abusive, may have driven him to 'insanity.'
'Once a controlling person loses control how do they get back control? They take the thing that matters most,' Judd said. 'I can't even begin to think what might have possessed him to do this. That's what it feels like to me, to hurt her.'
Pilling was coping with the pain as well as possible, Judd said, but not ready to speak publicly about the tragedy.
'She's doing pretty good,' Judd said. 'We've been talking about funeral services.'
They also needed to tell Ryker's brothers.
The two boys, Preston, 5, and Aiden, 7, have a different father who died several years ago under circumstances Judd declined to discuss other than to note that the boys were in therapy.
Judd said she worried that Petersen would 'roughhouse a little too hard,' with the older boys, often dropping them on the couch from over his head or tossing them so high they'd hit the ceiling.
She did not see him treat Ryker that way.
'I really never seen him interact with his son,' she said. 'I know he held him a lot and he cared for him. He definitely was better to him.'
Ryker had two older brothers, Preston, left, and, Aidan, right, who's own father died a few years ago
Pilling's grandmother described Petersen as a controlling person who may have been pushed to 'insanity' by the break-up
Though Petersen roughhoused with Ryker's older brothers, he was always gentle and caring with his own son
She claimed the roughhousing with the older boys began when Pilling was pregnant with Ryker.
Judd lives near Ryker's home.
When she heard there had been an incident in the neighborhood involving a baby she immediately assumed Petersen was involved.
'First, denial,' she said. 'But I knew it was true. I knew just from the description and the address. I knew it was him.'
Judd described Pilling, her stepdaughter, as a 'good mom.'
A relative allegedly stopped Petersen from turning the rifle on himself in his Utah home
Dozens attended a candlelight vigil for Ryker this Sunday
The Pilling family asked that the community remember the Petersen family as well, as they are also going through a tragedy
'She's a wonderful mom,' she said. 'She's a very doting, wonderful mom,'
She also said Pilling supported Petersen for much of the relationship and further described her as a loving 'give-the-shirt-off-her-back kind of person.'
But Judd never cared for Petersen.
'I didn't like him from the very beginning,' she said. 'But we're moms, OK? Nobody is ever going to be good enough for our kids.'
Petersen's aunt, Staci Zufelt, said he had fought depression all his life.
Pilling's brother Milo Merrill said the family has been humbled by the outpouring of support
Authorities said Petersen has been cooperative with their investigation so far
Funeral services for Ryker will be held Wednesday
'He had trouble in school,' she said. 'He was just kind of a loner.'
When Ryker was born in late October, she said it was a source of happiness for him.
'He really loved his son,' she said.
Petersen's Facebook page is filled with posts that seem to reference only sad days or moments of happiness with Ryker.
On March 27 Petersen wrote: 'its a sad day but not when i have my son he makes me happy.'
A candlelight vigil was held for Ryker Sunday evening outside his mother's home, KUTV reported.
Roughly three dozen friends and family offered hugs and prayers that the family be comforted.
Dozens of stuffed animals were left behind for Ryker's brothers along with a condolence book filled with signatures.
Pilling did not attend, but five of her brothers were there along with Petersen's grandparents.
'We talked and hugged and it was great,' Merrill said.
Merrill stressed that they were praying for the Petersen family as well, knowing it was a difficult time for everyone.
Funeral services will be held Wednesday.
AMANDA PILLING'S FAMILY SPEAKS OUT ON THE DEATH OF 5-MONTH-OLD RYKER PETERSEN
'We would like to make a statement on behalf of our sister, Amanda Merrill Pilling and the tragic death of her 5 month old son, Ryker Petersen. Amanda is heart broken over this loss, her sweet baby Ryker was a treasure and she misses him immensely and is overcome with grief.
'Our hearts and prayers go out to all of you who are suffering from the loss of baby Ryker, including the father’s family. We can not imagine how hard this must be for you, we know that you love Ryker and we send our love and support to you.
'It is so easy to jump to conclusions and judgments when a tragedy like this occurs. We believe that we should leave the judgment and conclusions to our Heavenly Father. We will not let this sadness consume us. Amanda knows that her son, Ryker is with her parents who have also passed away.
'We are so humbled by the kindness and generosity of so many who have expressed love and concern for Amanda and our family at this time. Please give Amanda and our family privacy during this difficult time.'
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