In Memoriam: Luray Hodder

UPDATED 9/21/07
Musician Luray Hodder-Kuca, 39, of Portland, OR, died by carbon monoxide asphyxiation on Sept. 6, 2007. Her husband John Kuca committed suicide with her; their daughter Ruby, 5, found with them, was the victim of homicide according to Portland police.

An anonymous commenter to this blog has reported that police have not yet closed this case and have not ruled Luray's death a suicide. On that basis, my text has been amended and any conclusions stated herein are retracted, with my apologies to any who may have been offended or alarmed. (It appeared to me that the media reports were calling it a suicide, but if the police have not made a determination, it is more responsible to report it thus.)

Luray attended Monmouth Regional HS for some of the years I spent there. She was part of the Drama Club and was part of an extended circle of kinda-sorta-friends; we didn't visit each others' houses or anything but when the Drama Club went out after a performance, both of us were usually there.

It's a sad ending to a life. What makes it monstrous is that their daughter was murdered when Luray and her husband died. I can sort of imagine being so distraught that you'd want to kill yourself if your wife had terminal cancer (as Luray did); I can't under any circumstances imagine wanting to take your only child with you into the Great Beyond.

Kat and I extend our thoughts and prayers to her family and her husband's.

More here.