Family speaks out after double-murder suicide

NORTH STONINGTON, Conn. (WTHN) -- News 8 has heard about the mental illness plaguing Debra Denison, the woman responsible for a double-murder suicide, but there are also other troubles she and her family have had to deal with.

An emotional Debra Denison outside court February 25, 2010. She is seen carrying the red bag after her son Christopher Allen is sentenced for killing a man on a Mystic Boat. News 8 talked to her off camera where she expressed sorrow for the victim's father.

After the hearing she went up to him to apologize.

Now almost three years later to the day, police say she took the lives of her two grandsons, on February 26th, 2-year-old Alton's birthday. His little brother Ashton was just 6-months-old. Police say Denison shot the boys and then turned the family owned gun on herself.

"What is there to say? It's over it's done with. You know she was the grandmother of those babies," said great grandmother Marcia White.

Marcia White the boys' great grandmother spoke to us on the phone because in person would be too difficult.

There is another young man profoundly affected by this tragedy. Denison's other son, just 13-year-old, has now lost his mother.

The first selectman tells News 8 a crisis intervention team was at the teen's school, Mystic Middle School, today. We have also learned Denison had financial troubles. Several liens were put on her Stonington home and these are troubles that now pale in comparison to the loss being felt by her family.

"Her daughter is an exceptional woman and so is my grandson," said White.

"How are they holding up," asked News 8's Detelj.

"With god's strength they're holding up," said White. "Those babies went right straight to heaven and they are in the arms of Jesus. My mother's probably rocking them today. And they'll be there to greet us."

White says they are all relying on their faith as well as the support from family and friends to help them through this.