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Christmas Day Murder-Suicide Victims To Be Remembered

A memorial service is planned for Parr Park in Grapevine this morning for the victims of the Christmas day murder suicide that left seven people dead. KERA’s BJ Austin reports on the latest in the investigation.

Grapevine Police now say someone DID speak on that 9-1-1 call that brought police to the Lincoln Vineyards Apartments and discovery of seven bodies. Sgt. Robert Eberling says it was a faint, raspy voice said help twice. It was so soft it was initially overlooked. Sgt. Eberling also says a text message sent by a victim about 20 minutes before the 9-1-1 said the suspected shooter was there dressed as Santa and the family was opening Christmas presents. 

The Sgt. says there apparently was no sense of danger. He also says there were no signs of struggle, only indications the victims tried to shield themselves when the shooting began.

Eberling: Some of the victims had defensive wounds, defensive-type gunshot wounds to their extremities as if they were trying to shield themselves. Ah, some of the victims were shot multiple times and it appears some of the victims were shot with both weapons.

The family of Iranian descent lived in Colleyville until financial problems and a divorce. The mother, teenage daughter and son moved to the apartment in Grapevine.

Sgt. Eberling says detectives will likely never know exactly “why” 56 year old Aziz Yazandanpanah did what he did. But detectives want to piece together as many details and as clear a timeline as they can to explain the Christmas morning that went so shockingly wrong.

Former KERA reporter BJ Austin spent more than 25 years in broadcast journalism, anchoring and reporting in Atlanta, New York, New Orleans and Dallas. Along the way, she covered Atlanta City Hall, the Georgia Legislature and the corruption trials of Louisiana Gov. Edwin Edwards.