Sgt. Leonid Milkin and Unimaginable Horror

Found by way of Michelle Malkin. More at My Own Side, including photos of the memorial.

Seattle Times article by Peyton Whitely and Mike Carter.

The man being held in the stabbing deaths of two women and two children in Kirkland on Monday reportedly woke up from a drunken blackout inside the home of the victims to find himself covered in blood, according to court documents filed today in King County Superior Court.

The man, Conner Schierman, 24, is accused of dousing the house with gasoline and setting it on fire to conceal the killings, according to the documents.

A law-enforcement source familiar with the evidence said Schierman took a shower in the victims' home to wash off the blood and discarded his bloody clothing. He then allegedly stole an outfit from the victims' house before setting it afire.

....

The King County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed the identities of the victims as Olga Milkin, 28; her sister, Lyubov Botvina, 24; and Justin Milkin, 5, and Andrew Milkin, 3, sons of Olga Milkin.

Olga Milkin's husband, Sgt. Leonid Milkin of the Army National Guard, returned from duty in Iraq to his burned-out home late this morning.

Wearing Army fatigues, Milkin was brought in a black SUV to the home. Officers gave him a brief tour of the house. He spent a few moments at a memorial for his wife, children and sister-in-law before leaving without speaking to reporters.

Vita Petrus, 27, a sister of victims Olga Milkin and Botvina, said Olga had been excited about her husband's scheduled homecoming from Iraq in about a month and a half.

Petrus' husband, John, said Leonid Milkin "has been very strong through all of this. He is probably holding up better than we are."

The law-enforcement source said Schierman had moved into the neighborhood two to four weeks ago. Neighbors said they believed another man also lived in the apartment with Schierman. The men kept to themselves and were described as unreceptive when neighbors tried to introduce themselves.

I cannot imagine the horror and grief Sgt Milkin is experiencing. Comments were made to the press about how well he's holding up. I suspect he's in shock. How could a person possibly grasp the enormity of such a horrific loss?

Also from Michelle Malkin's site:

A memorial fund has been set by the family at US Bank under the name "Kirkland House Fire Victims." Also, the Washington National Guard set up a financial assistance fund in Leonid Milkin's name at the American Lake Credit Union in Camp Murray. The account number is 13743:

Camp Murray Branch
Camp Murray, Bldg. 16
Tacoma, WA 98430
Voice: 253-582-3831
Voice: 800-228-2377
Fax: 253-582-1320
Email: amlakecu-at-aol.com

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