In a quiet home in the former coal mining town of Lansford, Pennsylvania, a story of love, chaos, and escalating turmoil was unfolding, largely hidden from the outside world. At the center of this fractured family was nine-year-old Ava Lerario, a bright and friendly girl known for her love of singing, dancing, and sharing her toys. Ava, who was a student at Panther Valley Elementary School, was described as her father's princess. She was the middle child, with two brothers.
The world as Ava knew it began to shrink with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The closure of her school in March 2020 took away her refuge. At home, the situation was becoming increasingly volatile. Her mother, Ashley Belson, was grappling with drug addiction, while her father, Marc Lerario, who had a history of an explosive temper and a dozen assault charges, was unmedicated for bipolar disorder and slipping into severe paranoia. Protective services had previously visited the home in 2019 following reports of potential abuse concerning Ava's younger brother.
On May 26, 2020, the silent struggles within the family home culminated in a tragic end. Ava, her 34-year-old mother Ashley Belson, and her father Marc Lerario were all found dead in their residence from gunshot wounds to the head. The Carbon County coroner later ruled the deaths of Ava and her mother as homicides. Police officials stated that it is believed Marc Lerario fatally shot Ava while she was asleep in her bed, and also killed Ashley, before taking his own life. Ava's two brothers were in the home that morning and discovered the bodies.
The investigation into the deaths did not lead to any arrests, as the case was considered a murder-suicide. The Lansford Police Chief, who was the first to arrive at the scene, expressed his belief that the pressures of the pandemic pushed Marc Lerario 'beyond the brink.' The family had been facing financial strain, relying on savings and food stamps. A significant turning point appeared to be the death of Marc's grandmother from COVID-19 in April 2020, which sent him into a spiral of depression. In the wake of this tragedy, Pennsylvania's Office of Children, Youth, and Families acknowledged that there were missteps in Ava's case, as social workers were unaware of guns in the home or of Marc Lerario's criminal history.
