In the quiet community of Lone Tree, Colorado, a heart-wrenching story unfolded in late November of 2016. Five-year-old Ethan Patrick Laber, a young male who loved dinosaurs and searching for treasures in his backyard, was found deceased on November 29, 2016. The grim discovery was made inside the family's minivan, which was parked outside a vacant storefront.
Alongside Ethan were the bodies of his three-year-old brother, Adam, and their 38-year-old mother, Jennifer Laber.
The subsequent investigation by law enforcement painted a tragic picture of the events that led to the deaths. Autopsies confirmed that Ethan, Adam, and Jennifer all died from single gunshot wounds. Inside the vehicle, authorities found a handgun that Jennifer Laber had purchased just hours before their bodies were discovered. This finding, combined with other evidence, led investigators to conclude that there were no outstanding suspects and that the public was not in danger. The case was ultimately ruled a murder-suicide, with Jennifer Laber identified as the perpetrator.
Further details that emerged shed light on the mother's state of mind leading up to the incident. Her husband and the father of the boys, Ryan Laber, spoke publicly about his wife's long and arduous battle with depression. He described it as an insidious disease that can alter a person's reality. An autopsy report later revealed that both Ethan and his younger brother had potent narcotic painkillers in their systems at the time of their deaths, suggesting they were sedated before the fatal shots were fired. In the wake of this devastating event, no arrests were made as the investigation concluded that Jennifer Laber acted alone. The community mourned the profound loss of two innocent children, a stark and somber reminder of the unseen struggles with mental illness.
