On May 22, 2012, the life of 26-year-old Caucasian female Natalya Lazukin was tragically cut short in a devastating series of events that unfolded in Salem, Oregon. What began as a seemingly ordinary day ended in a horrifying murder-suicide that claimed the lives of Natalya, her three young daughters, and an unrelated young man, all at the hands of her husband, 27-year-old Nikolay Lazukin.
Friends and fellow church-goers described the Lazukin family as happy and close-knit, leaving the community in shock and disbelief.
The grim discovery was made after firefighters responded to a house fire at the Lazukin residence. Inside, they found the bodies of Natalya and two of her daughters, 3-year-old Angelica and 1-year-old Zoe. Autopsies would later reveal that Natalya, Angelica, and Zoe had all been shot to death. The youngest child, a 4-month-old infant named Sulamia, was found to have died from asphyxiation. Investigators believe that Nikolay used loaves of bread to muffle the sound of the gunshots. After killing his family, he set their house on fire.
The tragedy extended beyond the family home. Earlier that same morning, the body of 21-year-old Devin Matlock was found on a street near the Lazukin's residence. An investigation concluded that Nikolay had beaten Matlock to death with a baseball bat. The two were reportedly strangers. Evidence linking Nikolay to Matlock's murder included Matlock's blood on a bat found in Nikolay's SUV and on the bottom of his shoes.
After committing these horrific acts, Nikolay Lazukin fled the scene. His body was later found in his vehicle in Cottage Grove, approximately 60 miles away from Salem. He died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Before taking his own life, Nikolay sent a text message to Natalya's father, saying, "Please forgive me. They took control of my body and did it. I BEGGED THEM NOT TO BUT THEY DID. I'm so sorry. PLEASE GOD FORGIVE ME." Due to the perpetrator's suicide, there were no arrests in connection with the deaths of Natalya Lazukin and the other victims. The case was closed as a murder-suicide.
