According to an inquiry, a dispute between two brothers in North Dakota drove a farmhand to kill his sibling, his kid, and another man before turning the gun on himself.
According to Towner County Sheriff Andrew Hillier, Robert Bracken, 59, reportedly killed 56-year-old Douglas Dulmage in his combine harvester on August 29, after the farmer hired him and two others to help bring in the harvest.
Bracken had self-inflicted wounds from a.357 revolver, and evidence at the scene suggests he killed Dulmage, his brother Richard Bracken, 64, and his son Justin Bracken, 34, before taking his own life.
The triple murder-suicide occurred around 13 miles northeast of Leeds in a wheat field west of Maza, North Dakota.
The sheriff stated that the fight had been “escalating for at least a week” before to the shooting, but did not elaborate on the motivation.
Image of Douglas Dulmage in Leeds. Authorities reported that a fight between two brothers led to a triple murder-suicide in a North Dakota wheat field last month, where Dulmage was killed.
The Towner County Sheriff’s Office issued a statement after an initial investigation.
Dulmage lived in Leeds with his wife and two daughters, while he and his 95-year-old father farmed on a plot of land outside of town.
KVLY was informed by local sources, including relatives, that Dulmage had hired the three Bracken men to work on the Cando property.
To 6 p.m., deputies arrived at the 6100 block of Northeast 66th Street to find four unresponsive victims.
North Dakota Farm Bureau President Daryl Lies stated in a statement, ‘It is difficult to comprehend why something like this would occur in a rural farming town.’
When evil appears, it can be terrible, but we must remember that there is more good in the world than evil. Doug’s devotion to agriculture and affection for his family will live on in infamy.
After the incident, neighborhood volunteers harvested the wheat field of the deceased farmer.
Douglas Dulmage, age 56 (shown on the left with his father Bob, age 95), was shot in his combine while harvesting wheat in North Dakota.
On Douglas Dulmage’s farm, Dulmage is seen eating dinner in the fields (right) with a little Polaroid photo of his family pinned to a box, while another photograph shows him placing a flag on top of farming equipment (left)
Traynor stated that local farmers and friends of the Dulmage family have already held one meeting to discuss how they will harvest the remaining wheat, corn, and soybeans.
The leader of a North Dakota agriculture association stated that the deaths are a shock to the agricultural community during a time that is typically a prelude to harvest celebrations.
Doug was a prominent member of the community. He was an unassuming servant-leader. Pat Traynor, a longtime friend of the Dulmage family, was quoted by KX News as saying, “His acts spoke volumes about his incredible moral fortitude.”
Dulmage’s Twitter displayed an image of one of his fields, depicting the property in happier times.