Family In Triple Murder-Suicide In Frederickson Identified

FREDERICKSON, WA - The 29-year-old Joint Base Lewis-McChord airman who shot and killed his family early Tuesday may have been "despondent" over a pending divorce, according to details released by the Pierce County Sheriff's Office this afternoon.

Just before 1 a.m. Tuesday, the Clint Field called 911 to report that he had killed his family, and would soon kill himself. Police went to the address where the call came from, along the 5700 block of 209th Street, and attempted to coax the man out of the house.

When no response came, police entered the home. They found the man's 33-year-old wife, Samantha, and two children, Ava and Ashen, ages 2 and 4, dead of gunshot wounds. The Pierce County Medical Examiner's Office released the named Tuesday afternoon.

"All of the victims were found in their beds and appear to have been killed in while they were sleeping," the Pierce County Sheriff's Office reported Tuesday.

The murder-suicide is still under investigation, but military investigators believe a pending divorce might have been a factor. Clint Field was also being treated for depression, according to the sheriff's office.

The Clint Field was in the Air Force and had been stationed at JBLM for about one year. Clint Field is from Florida and Samantha Field was originally from New Hampshire, according to the Tacoma News Tribune.

If you or someone you know is in distress or is contemplating suicide, there are a number of options for help in Pierce County. The National Alliance On Mental Illness has a list of all the resources available. You can also reach the National Suicide Prevention Hotline 24/7 at 1-800-273-8255.

Image courtesy Pierce County Sheriff's Office