A Maryland man shot and killed his ex-wife and three children at a park where he was to pick up the kids for Thanksgiving, and then killed himself.

Gail Louise Pumphrey of Woodbine, Md., had taken her children to Unity Park in Montgomery County to meet David Peter Brockdorff. The children -- two boys ages 6 and 12 and a girl age 10 -- were to spend part of the holiday weekend with Brockdorff, The Baltimore Sun reported Friday.

Police believe Brockdorff, 40, shot Pumphrey, 43, and her daughter in Pumphrey's Ford Taurus, and then shot himself and the two boys in a stolen Nissan he had driven to the park.

Pumphrey and Brockdorff had been through what the newspaper called a bitter divorce. Court records indicated Brockdorff had a history of criminal and civil problems, including allegations of domestic violence and financial trouble.

Montgomery County Police Department Assistant Chief Wayne Jerman told the Sun police found Pumphrey and the children in the two cars around 9:30 p.m. Thursday, and found Brockdorff's body in the woods about 100 yards away from the cars.

He apparently took his life with the same weapon he used to kill his family, police said.

The names of the children were not immediately released.  // Copyright 2007 by United Press International



Publication date: 24 November 2007   

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