A New Hampshire mother executed her husband and two young children with a handgun before taking her own life, leaving behind a surviving toddler in what authorities now confirm as a devastating family murder-suicide that has shattered a close-knit rural community.
Story Snapshot
- Emily Long, 34, shot and killed her husband Ryan, 48, and sons Parker, 8, and Ryan Jr., 6, before killing herself
- A surviving toddler was found unharmed in the Madbury, New Hampshire home on August 18, 2025
- Ryan Long served as a respected school psychologist for nine years at Oyster River Middle School
- Autopsy results confirmed the murder-suicide with no clear motive established by investigators
Family Murder-Suicide Rocks Small New Hampshire Town
Emily Long used a handgun from inside the family home to methodically kill her husband Ryan Long, 48, and their two young sons before turning the weapon on herself in the early morning hours of August 18, 2025. The New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office and Medical Examiner confirmed through autopsy results that Emily Long was the perpetrator in this shocking family annihilation. Police discovered the bodies that evening alongside a surviving toddler who was found physically unharmed but now faces an unimaginable future without his family.
Respected School Psychologist Among the Victims
Ryan Long had dedicated nine years of his career as a school psychologist at Oyster River Middle School, where he was deeply respected by colleagues and students alike. Both Ryan and Emily Long were University of New Hampshire graduates who had established strong roots in the Madbury community of approximately 2,000 residents. Dr. Robert Shaps, the school district superintendent, expressed heartbreak over the loss and extended sympathies to all those impacted by this tragedy that has left the educational community reeling.
Investigation Reveals No Warning Signs or Prior Incidents
Authorities report no public record of prior domestic incidents or police involvement with the Long family before this devastating event. The lack of apparent warning signs has left investigators and community members struggling to understand what could have driven Emily Long to commit such an unthinkable act against her own family. Law enforcement officials are continuing their investigation while cautioning the public against speculation about motive, emphasizing the complexity and unpredictable nature of such tragic family violence cases.
The surviving toddler’s welfare has become a priority for social services and extended family members, though specific details about custody arrangements have not been publicly disclosed. Mental health professionals stress the importance of focusing support on survivors and the broader community rather than attempting to rationalize the perpetrator’s actions, noting that family murder-suicides often involve multiple stressors that are rarely predictable without clear prior warning signs.
Community Grapples with Aftermath and Healing
This tragedy highlights the devastating reality that evil can strike even the most seemingly stable families, leaving communities to question how such violence could emerge without apparent cause or intervention opportunity. The Oyster River school district has mobilized crisis counseling and trauma response protocols to support students and staff who knew the Long family. The case serves as a stark reminder that mental health crises can manifest in ways that defy understanding, emphasizing the critical need for robust support systems and accessible mental health resources in our communities.
Sources:
Autopsy points to wife in Madbury murder-suicide that claimed four lives
New Hampshire family murder-suicide
