SPRINGVILLE, Utah -- Fighting back tears, the relatives of five family members who died in Springville shared the shock and pain with the public Tuesday afternoon.
“Events like this are difficult to understand and even harder to come to terms with, and no words can adequately describe our feelings of grief and sorrow,” said Bob McGee, a relative of the family.
Benjamin and Kristi Strack, along with three of their children, were found dead Saturday night inside their home. They were discovered by the couple’s 18 year old son, who is now the only surviving member of the family.
As McGee spoke about the Stracks, the teen stood behind him and wept.
"Ben and Kristi and their beautiful children, Benson, Emery and Zion, were loved by all of us and by so many others,” said McGee. “They will be deeply, sorely missed.”
According to authorities, when the 18 year old left home Saturday morning the family was still alive. It was upon returning to the house later that night that he discovered all five of them dead inside his parents’ master bedroom.
“Just walking through, there was nothing that jumped out at me that would say, ‘This is what happened,” said Lt. Dave Caron of Springville Police Department.
With no obvious signs of trauma to the five, authorities have not been able to determine a cause of death.
As they await toxicology results for each member, investigators have been collecting evidence from the property, such as the family’s cell phones, to see if there are any clues that could lead them to answers.
“That’s what makes this case really hard,” Caron said, “It’s really difficult because we don’t have a specific answer, at this point.”
A vigil for the family is scheduled for Thursday evening at 6:00 p.m. in Pioneer Park, located in Provo.
Memorial funds have also been setup to assist the family with funeral expenses. If you would like to help, visit gofundme.com/strackfamilyfund. There is also an account at America First Credit Union. For more information, call 1-800-999-3961 or email support@americafirst.com
