Alan Smith of Billings, Montana: First photos emerge of man who killed eight relatives and setting family home on fire
New photographs of Alan Smiththe 44-year-old man who killed eight members of his own family in Billings, Montana, have surfaced as friends of the victims describe troubling behaviour they say preceded the massacre. The images were published by the New York Post and quickly went viral online.
The pictures show Smith with members of his family, including his sister Megan Ireland-Ghekiere, who was among those killed in the August 23 attack.
According to Yellowstone County authorities, Smith had allegedly left home weeks ago and returned to the family’s 4,000-square-foot home before committing the murder-suicide.
Authorities said that Smith fatally shot eight relatives, set the house ablaze and then died by suicide. Megan’s four children and stepchildren, along with her parents, Barbara, 72, and Dana Smith, 73, and grandma, Evelyn Smith, 92, were among the ones who were killed.
Officials have not announced an official motive.
What warning signs did friends flag?
Kelsey Granger, Megan Ireland-Ghekiere’s longtime friend and maid of honour at both of her weddings, told the New York Post that Smith had displayed behaviour she now views as concerning.
Granger said that he left the family home in late July without telling relatives where he was going. “He didn’t have a job. He had no income as far as I know,” Granger told the NYP. She added that the family, however, did not believe he was violent despite his behavior.
Granger also alleged that Smith was “verbally abusive” towards his sister and occasionally also towards her two children, Chloe, 7, Owen, 13, Charlotte, 12, and Landon Ghekiere, 15. “I know he was verbally abusive towards Megan occasionally as well as her children. He hadn’t been very nice to her children when he left.”
Recalling the night of the tragedy, Granger said that Megan had contacted her hours before the shooting to discuss plans for Christmas and seeing The Nutcracker. Later that evening, Megan’s husband, Adam, called to say the family home was on fire.
“I immediately called her. Her phone went to voicemail. Her mom’s phone went to voicemail,” Granger recalled. She later learned that Megan and the rest of the family had been killed.
However, interim Yellowstone County Sheriff Kent O’Donnell said Wednesday that law enforcement had received no prior calls involving Smith or the family home before the attack.
Megan was a “great mom” and “kind-hearted person”
Granger described Megan as a devoted mother and one of her closest friends. The pair shared matching butterfly tattoos and remained in daily contact despite living in different states.
Megan and Granger made it a point to chat every day and see each other several times a year, and they shared several significant life events, such as being pregnant at the same time. “Her daughter is five weeks younger than my son,” Granger said.
Granger added, “She was a single mom for the majority of her time as being a mom to Owen and Chloe.”
“She was a really strong and kind person,” Granger said, recalling Megan’s years as a single mother before she remarried Adam Ghekiere.
