Photo: Mike Macklin (WBZ)
ANDOVER, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — The Essex County District Attorney's Office has released new information in the investigation into the deaths of Andrew, Linda, and Sebastian Robinson that occurred earlier this month.
On Feb. 9, 2023, the Andover Police Department received a 911 call at 3:09 a.m. from the Robinson home at 48 Porter Rd. Investigators believe Andrew Robinson, 56, made the call, in which his son Sebastian, 12, could be heard shouting in the background. Loud smashing sounds could also be heard on the call, which investigators now believe were gunshots.
Officers were dispatched to the home at 3:10 a.m. Upon arriving at the home at around 3:20, officers knocked on the front door to no response. The DA's Office said the officers went to the back of the house and looked through a sliding-glass door, seeing a woman with apparent injuries lying on the floor. That was when the officers decided to make a forced entry into the home.
Inside, officers found Andrew with a gun, dead from an apparent self-inflected gunshot wound. They also found his wife Linda, 55, and Sebastian, both dead from gunshots.
Investigators believe Andrew shot and killed his wife and son, then himself, in a murder-suicide. Investigators have also learned through conversations with family and friends that Andrew was having trouble sleeping, and had been seeking medical attention for physical and mental health issues. He was prescribed medication for his conditions. The DA's Office said there were no prior police responses to the Robinson residence.
"While we can never know everything going on inside someone’s home or mind, we’re absolutely clear domestic violence can’t be tolerated for any reason, and that there’s a mental health crisis in our country," Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker said in a statement. "Our office works daily to address each problem, and I urge those in need – and those who care about them – to reach out to us, the state government and outside groups for support. No one should feel alone as they cope with these problems."
A funeral for Linda and Sebastian was held Saturday at St. John's Preparatory School in Danvers, where Sebastian was a sixth-grade student.
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