Teresa Milligan (b. 2009), Nora Milligan (b. 2011), and Finn Milligan (b. 2013) were shot to death as part of a murder-suicide by their father, Marcus Milligan, who also killed their mother, Tara Milligan. The children were homeschooled.
The Milligans were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and were active in their church ward. Teresa was opinionated, creative, and loved reading, theater, and playing the harp. Nora was well-spoken, an animal lover, and enjoyed piano and soccer. Finn had a great sense of humor and loved music and sports. The children treasured their pets, 5 cats and a dog. The Milligans’ fourth child, Conor Milligan (2015-2019), died of childhood cancer.
Three years and one week after Conor’s death, the police received a 911 call, likely from Marcus Milligan. When authorities arrived at the home they found that Marcus had shot and killed Tara, then had shot and killed each of the children, before killing himself. The motive remains unclear, although family and friends’ statement that “the reunion [in heaven] is a beautiful one for the family” indicates that grief and theological beliefs may have played a role in the murders.
Date: September 9, 2022
Location: Elk Mills, Cecil County, Maryland
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