Panther88
Banned
Got this from today's Houston Chronicle. This isn't just a "white" thing anymore. The family was a family of color. 
Click <a href="http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/1781872"> HERE</a> for the link.
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Family's massacre leaves neighbors wondering why
By LUCAS WALL and MIKE GLENN
Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle
Chronicle
Guillermina Elizabeth Cauley, left, and Purnell La Cauley, right, are believed to have been shot by their father, Purnell "Rick" Cauley.
Residents of a northwest Harris County subdivision tried to return to their quiet suburban normalcy Sunday, but clues to the family massacre that took six lives and injured a police officer remained. Some said their neighborhood is forever scarred.
"It is never going to be the same," said Courtney Montgomery, 20, who lives four houses away from where authorities believe a man shot his wife, girlfriend and three young daughters to death, wounded a Houston police officer during an eight-hour standoff Friday, and then took his own life.
"We're all friends. We all go to church together, barbecue and stuff."
Friends and neighbors identified the family members as Purnell "Rick" Cauley, the husband; Guillermina "Gidget" Cauley, his wife; and their daughters Victoria, 4; Purnell La, 6; and Elizabeth, 10. In addition, the sixth person was identified by her family as Flor Roque, 28, the gunman's girlfriend.
Harris County medical examiners said Sunday that they were still working to officially identify the five homicide victims -- two adult women, three young children -- and the gunman. Investigators said he took his own life. Detectives at the scene Saturday said all the victims appeared to have been shot.
A small memorial to the victims began forming Sunday morning on the front lawn of the Cauley home, 5722 W. Vistaglen Loop in the Charlestown Colony subdivision near Texas 6 and West Little York.
Montgomery's sister, Chelsie Pepple, 11, and two friends placed roses on the well-tended lawn between two tall pine trees.
Montgomery said the girls chose a special color for each young victim -- pink for Elizabeth because she was a good friend, yellow for Purnell La because she was joyful, and white for Victoria to represent her pureness and innocence.
"I have all these questions that are never going to be answered," Montgomery said. "Look at this neighborhood, look at it. There's no crime. I leave my doors unlocked a lot."
Regarding her little sister, Montgomery said, "I don't know how it's going to affect her in the long run but she's handling it really well right now."
Montgomery said she didn't have much contact with their parents, who moved to the two-story brick house about two years ago.
David Salinas, 25, who lives next door to the Cauley residence, said Rick Cauley wasn't too sociable.
"I never said hi to the guy once," Salinas said. "We were never rude to each other, but he would just walk in with his head down, you know, didn't make eye contact with anyone."
Though none of the neighbors viewed Rick Cauley as friendly, they also said he never appeared angry or crazy. None were aware of marital problems.
"No one thought the man would go crazy and kill his family," Salinas said. "That's unreal."
Mark Rogers, a 12-year resident of West Vistaglen Loop, said he'd heard Rick Cauley recently lost his job.
"If you have people on the edge, that has a tendency to push them over," he said. "To even think of doing that to your kids is something I don't know how to really relate to."
Bonnie Bello brought her 11-year-old daughter, Kayla, by Sunday evening to leave flowers on the lawn. Elizabeth was in the same Horne Elementary School fifth-grade class as Kayla, Bello said, and she wanted her "to get some closure."
Elizabeth had spent the night a few times with Kayla, Bello said, and her classmates are trying to cope with her loss.
"The girls have been burning up the telephone lines calling each other," she said. "It's kind of hard to deal with death when you are 10 years old."
Kayla said she and her classmates were wondering why Elizabeth wasn't in school last week. One girl called to ask about her and her father told her Elizabeth was sick, Kayla said.
"Right now they are doing pretty good," Kayla's mother said of Elizabeth's classmates, "but who knows, once you get in the classroom setting and you don't see anyone sitting in her seat."
Kelli Durham, a spokeswoman for the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District, said the district had not been formally notified that two of the victims attended Horne Elementary. But, she added, anytime there's a tragedy like this, the district provides grief counselors.
Cypress-Fairbanks students return to school Tuesday; today they are off for Presidents Day.
Authorities said the gunman's victims likely had been dead five days before being discovered following the standoff.
"They have to be identified via scientific methods -- fingerprints, dental or DNA," said Harold Jordan, the medical examiner's chief investigator. The official cause of death won't be released until the autopsies have been completed.
Homicide detectives confirmed Sunday the existence of a two-page handwritten note found at the scene that lays out in chilling detail the man's plans. The contents will not be made public until family members have been notified, said sheriff's Sgt. T.E. Kiser.
The standoff began Friday after Houston police Sgt. Mike Bozeman, 45, was shot in the abdomen while investigating the disappearance of the man's girlfriend.
Bozeman was taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital, where officials said his family didn't want any information released about his condition.
"He's in a lot of pain but he's going to be OK," one of his fellow officers said.
Click <a href="http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/1781872"> HERE</a> for the link.
<b>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Family's massacre leaves neighbors wondering why
By LUCAS WALL and MIKE GLENN
Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle
Chronicle
Guillermina Elizabeth Cauley, left, and Purnell La Cauley, right, are believed to have been shot by their father, Purnell "Rick" Cauley.
Residents of a northwest Harris County subdivision tried to return to their quiet suburban normalcy Sunday, but clues to the family massacre that took six lives and injured a police officer remained. Some said their neighborhood is forever scarred.
"It is never going to be the same," said Courtney Montgomery, 20, who lives four houses away from where authorities believe a man shot his wife, girlfriend and three young daughters to death, wounded a Houston police officer during an eight-hour standoff Friday, and then took his own life.
"We're all friends. We all go to church together, barbecue and stuff."
Friends and neighbors identified the family members as Purnell "Rick" Cauley, the husband; Guillermina "Gidget" Cauley, his wife; and their daughters Victoria, 4; Purnell La, 6; and Elizabeth, 10. In addition, the sixth person was identified by her family as Flor Roque, 28, the gunman's girlfriend.
Harris County medical examiners said Sunday that they were still working to officially identify the five homicide victims -- two adult women, three young children -- and the gunman. Investigators said he took his own life. Detectives at the scene Saturday said all the victims appeared to have been shot.
A small memorial to the victims began forming Sunday morning on the front lawn of the Cauley home, 5722 W. Vistaglen Loop in the Charlestown Colony subdivision near Texas 6 and West Little York.
Montgomery's sister, Chelsie Pepple, 11, and two friends placed roses on the well-tended lawn between two tall pine trees.
Montgomery said the girls chose a special color for each young victim -- pink for Elizabeth because she was a good friend, yellow for Purnell La because she was joyful, and white for Victoria to represent her pureness and innocence.
"I have all these questions that are never going to be answered," Montgomery said. "Look at this neighborhood, look at it. There's no crime. I leave my doors unlocked a lot."
Regarding her little sister, Montgomery said, "I don't know how it's going to affect her in the long run but she's handling it really well right now."
Montgomery said she didn't have much contact with their parents, who moved to the two-story brick house about two years ago.
David Salinas, 25, who lives next door to the Cauley residence, said Rick Cauley wasn't too sociable.
"I never said hi to the guy once," Salinas said. "We were never rude to each other, but he would just walk in with his head down, you know, didn't make eye contact with anyone."
Though none of the neighbors viewed Rick Cauley as friendly, they also said he never appeared angry or crazy. None were aware of marital problems.
"No one thought the man would go crazy and kill his family," Salinas said. "That's unreal."
Mark Rogers, a 12-year resident of West Vistaglen Loop, said he'd heard Rick Cauley recently lost his job.
"If you have people on the edge, that has a tendency to push them over," he said. "To even think of doing that to your kids is something I don't know how to really relate to."
Bonnie Bello brought her 11-year-old daughter, Kayla, by Sunday evening to leave flowers on the lawn. Elizabeth was in the same Horne Elementary School fifth-grade class as Kayla, Bello said, and she wanted her "to get some closure."
Elizabeth had spent the night a few times with Kayla, Bello said, and her classmates are trying to cope with her loss.
"The girls have been burning up the telephone lines calling each other," she said. "It's kind of hard to deal with death when you are 10 years old."
Kayla said she and her classmates were wondering why Elizabeth wasn't in school last week. One girl called to ask about her and her father told her Elizabeth was sick, Kayla said.
"Right now they are doing pretty good," Kayla's mother said of Elizabeth's classmates, "but who knows, once you get in the classroom setting and you don't see anyone sitting in her seat."
Kelli Durham, a spokeswoman for the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District, said the district had not been formally notified that two of the victims attended Horne Elementary. But, she added, anytime there's a tragedy like this, the district provides grief counselors.
Cypress-Fairbanks students return to school Tuesday; today they are off for Presidents Day.
Authorities said the gunman's victims likely had been dead five days before being discovered following the standoff.
"They have to be identified via scientific methods -- fingerprints, dental or DNA," said Harold Jordan, the medical examiner's chief investigator. The official cause of death won't be released until the autopsies have been completed.
Homicide detectives confirmed Sunday the existence of a two-page handwritten note found at the scene that lays out in chilling detail the man's plans. The contents will not be made public until family members have been notified, said sheriff's Sgt. T.E. Kiser.
The standoff began Friday after Houston police Sgt. Mike Bozeman, 45, was shot in the abdomen while investigating the disappearance of the man's girlfriend.
Bozeman was taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital, where officials said his family didn't want any information released about his condition.
"He's in a lot of pain but he's going to be OK," one of his fellow officers said.
