On a cold winter day in Caribou, Maine, the life of 30-year-old Tina Marie Sas Cousins, a white female, was tragically cut short in a devastating act of domestic violence. On December 7, 1998, a horrific sequence of events unfolded within the family's home, leaving a permanent scar on the small community. The day that began like any other ended in an unimaginable tragedy that claimed the lives of Tina and her two young children.
That day, Tina's husband, 34-year-old Leigh Anthony
Cousins, turned a gun on his family. He fatally shot Tina, and their two children, four-year-old Cortina and two-year-old Cody. The violence that erupted within their home was swift and brutal, extinguishing the lives of a mother and her young children in a matter of moments. The reasons behind Leigh's actions remain a somber mystery, buried with the family on that tragic day.
After murdering his wife and children, Leigh Cousins set fire to their home, adding a layer of destruction to the already horrific scene. With the flames beginning to consume the house that once held a family, he then turned the gun on himself, taking his own life. When authorities arrived, they discovered the devastating scene of a triple murder-suicide. The case was closed with the identification of Leigh Cousins as the sole perpetrator, leaving a community to mourn the senseless loss of Tina and her two innocent children. There were no further arrests or suspects, as the person responsible had also perished in the tragic event.
