FORT BEND COUNTY, Texas – There will be counselors available at two Lamar Consolidated Independent School District campuses on Monday after the deaths of two teachers over Spring Break.
Officials say Mariana Alba Garcia taught fourth-grade at Long Elementary and Gene Mark Hudgson Sjogreen Jr. was a third-grade teacher at Taylor Ray Elementary.
The married couple was found dead during a wellness check at their Richmond home last week.
Investigators called it a murder-suicide.
Here’s what happened
It all started last Monday when a call to the Coast Guard ultimately led to officials finding the married couple’s bodies inside their Richmond home.
The husband, Gene Mark Hudson-Sjogreen was supposed to be on a fishing trip Sunday but no one had heard from him. His dad called the Coast Guard Monday, afraid something had happened to his son out on the water.
The Coast Guard asked the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office if they could do a wellness check at the couple’s home on Darst Field Trail. Hudson-Sjogreen’s family met deputies there.
The sheriff’s office says initially, they didn’t have enough evidence or cause to force their way into the home and continued investigating to see if either of the teachers had shown up at their schools.
After looking in the windows, Hudson-Sjogreen’s family called deputies back to the house. They told them they felt like something was “off,” according to the sheriff’s office.
With that elevated level of concern and signs of a disturbance, deputies had probable cause to go into the couple’s home.
They found Alba Marina Garcia, 34, and Gene Mark Hudgson-Sjogreen, 34, dead. Investigators say Hudson-Sjogreen shot his wife and then himself.
“Loss of life is an incomprehensible tragedy that affects us all. Such events have profound and lasting effects, not only on the families directly involved but on the entire fabric of our society,” said Sheriff Eric Fagan. “We extend our deepest sympathies to everyone impacted by this profound loss.”
The district says if any students or staff need support, they can call 832-223-HOPE (4673). Staff members are encouraged to contact EAP at 1-800-475-3327.