Distraught father, Kenneth Schlecht, and not wait for the Wednesday call from his daughter Jennifer.
Schlecht was worried because his daughter’s marriage was unraveling, and her husband threatened to kill her, himself and their 5-year-old daughter in case of divorce. On Wednesday, the woman had to obtain court restraining orders against a spouse, but never called my father to tell me how it went.
Instead, Kenneth Slechta the police called to announce that his son Jonathan Tedla hanged himself in the room of the granddaughter, after she cut the throat of his wife and daughter.
«The last time we spoke with her daughter on Sunday. She was in tears,» said Schlecht DailyNews.
Jennifer Schlecht met her future husband in graduate school Columbia University, where he worked as an IT freelancer.
Tedla moved to the U.S. from Ethiopia, to relatives in new York. Jennifer worked in the Peace Corps, been on mission in Kenya and Tanzania.
Before the baby, their marriage, according to the parents of Jennifer, was quite happy. But with the birth of the baby, everything changed. A few years later the daughter thought about divorce, but Tedla said that will commit suicide and kill Jennifer with her daughter. Relations deteriorated, however, the pair continued to live together.
During your last call, Jennifer told my parents and siblings that Tuesday will go to family court to get a restraining order. But that day the courts were closed because of the elections.
Nervously, her family called the police and asked to check on the house in Harlem where she lived with her daughter and her husband Jennifer. Soon relatives received the terrible news: in the house found three bodies.
«We know only that all three are dead,» said 74-year-old Kenneth.
Neighbors are heartbroken saying Jennifer Schlecht, Yonathan Tedla & their daughter Abaynesh appeared to be a great family. However, police say husband cut his wife’s & 5-year-old daughter’s throats & hanged himself in their W. 121 St. apt. Sources say they were getting divorced. pic.twitter.com/bi9fR15OyF
— Dean Meminger (@DeanMeminger) November 7, 2019
The police also found on the floor in the nursery the suspected murder weapon.
Neighbors of the couple in shock and disbelief. They describe Tedla as a friendly guy who cared about his daughter, took her to school. It is hard for them to believe that he committed such a heinous crime.
