BILLINGS, MT — Investigators are combing through the burned remains of a suburban Billings home after eight members of one family were killed during a Sunday dinner gathering. Yellowstone County Sheriff Kent O’Donnell said crews are working carefully through the debris to recover evidence and reconstruct the sequence of events.
Authorities say 44-year-old Alan Smith killed his grandmother, his parents, his younger sister and her children before taking his own life after police arrived. Multiple fires were set inside the house, and the blaze quickly consumed much of the property. Officials said they have some idea of what may have led to the attack, but they are still focusing on the crime scene and the physical evidence.
Sheriff says investigators may never answer every question about the attack
O’Donnell told reporters that the case will leave unresolved questions because the people who could explain what happened are dead. He said investigators are still piecing together the timeline and examining what was found in the home.
Police recovered weapons at the scene, though the sheriff did not identify them or say what type of gun or guns were used. Autopsies were still being completed as investigators continued searching the ruins. O’Donnell said law enforcement is trying to stay focused on the evidence before drawing conclusions about motive or planning.
He also said some parts of the story belong to the family, not the public record, and that those details may never be fully known.
Surviving relatives say Smith had been told to leave the home weeks earlier
According to police accounts and surviving relatives, Smith had lived in the house before being asked to move out weeks before the killings. Brad Ireland, the father of two of the children who died, said Smith had become withdrawn and spent most of his time on the computer.
Ireland described him as a “hermit” and said there had been warning signs that people around him noticed. He said Smith had attended Eastern Washington University but had not been able to find or keep a job.
The home belonged to Smith’s parents, Dana Smith, a retired Air Force and Boeing employee, and Barb Smith, a retired teacher. The family had roots in the Seattle area before later settling in Montana.
Children and adults killed in the fire included relatives across four generations
The dead included Owen and Chloe Ireland, their step-siblings Landon and Charlotte Ghekiere, their mother Megan Ghekiere, Smith’s parents Dana and Barb Smith, and Smith’s grandmother, Evelyn Smith. Evelyn Smith was 92 and lived in a nearby retirement community, while Megan Ghekiere worked in health care, according to a neighbor and family friend.
Family and friends described the children as full of promise. Owen, 13, was remembered by his father as a protective older brother. Chloe was 12. Landon, 15, was expecting to get his driver’s license this week, and Charlotte, 12, loved nature and insects.
Brad Ireland said Megan Ghekiere had moved to Montana with the children after the divorce six years ago. She later married Adam Ghekiere, who was at work when the shooting happened.
Firefighters trucked in water as neighbors built a memorial outside the wreckage
Officers first heard shots and saw smoke after responding to the home Sunday evening, O’Donnell said. A 911 call came from inside the house at 6 p.m., and a neighbor and family friend identified the caller as Charlotte, saying she tried to save her relatives. Smith then ran into the backyard and shot himself, authorities said.
The fire spread fast, and crews had to bring water in by truck because the neighborhood uses wells and does not have hydrants. At the mailboxes nearby, people have left teddy bears, flowers, photos, balloons and handwritten notes. A candlelight vigil was planned for Thursday night.
Mayor Mike Nelson said the killings had shaken Billings deeply, and neighbors have been bringing food and water to the scene as investigators continue their work.
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