The wife of a Nova Scotia man charged with murder in the death of his neighbour says her family had sought help after watching her husband “unravel and be part of something so unlike” him.
Ernie “Junior” Ross Duggan, 49, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Susie Butlin, 58, who was found dead late Sunday night. The two were next-door neighbours in Bayhead, N.S.
Meanwhile, court documents show that Butlin had recently applied for a peace bond against Duggan, alleging sexual assault and vandalism.
Duggan was arrested on Monday morning after a shootout with police at a cemetery in nearby Tatamagouche. He is scheduled to appear in Truro Provincial Court on Thursday morning.
“The accused remains in hospital in stable condition,” said RCMP Sgt. Al LeBlanc.
“Depending on his medical condition, there’s a possibility that if he is unable to attend, a lawyer may be present on his behalf.”
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In a post on Facebook, April Duggan calls the events “a true tragedy.”
“We are devastated beyond words for the loss of our friend and neighbour as well as the loss of the person I’ve spent 25 years with,” she writes.
“Jr got to a place he had never been before. We reached out. We really did try. I am so so sorry this was the end result.”
April Duggan refers to the family seeking mental health help.
“Watching a good person unravel and be part of something so unlike them, is devastating,” she wrote.
“I feel it could have been different and I really pray changes are made in the future. I do not want to see other families deal with something so tragic. Our hearts are broken for everyone affected.”
Peace bond against accused
Court documents obtained by Global News show Butlin had applied for a peace bond against Duggan on Aug. 10. In the application, Butlin alleged she was sexually assaulted in her home while her grandchildren were sleeping. She noted she felt threatened and that he was “very strong.”
She further alleged her swimming pool was vandalized after she told Duggan’s wife and informed him she was going to report the incident to the RCMP.
The allegations have not been proven in court.
Duggan was ordered by the court to have no contact with Butlin, and the matter was held until Oct. 4.
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Investigation ongoing
LeBlanc says the RCMP’s homicide investigation is “very active.” Investigators with the Northeast Major Crime Unit and Forensic Identification Officers could be seen at both Butlin and Duggan’s homes on Wednesday.
“Our goal is to collect evidence and I can assure you that our members are working really hard to make sure we get all of the evidence possible,” he said.
It is expected police will remain on scene in Bayhead until at least Thursday.
“As you can appreciate, this is a substantial investigation and our members will take as much time as is necessary to process the scenes and to gather evidence,” said LeBlanc.
Community reacts
Those who live in the small community of Bayhead where Duggan and Butlin resided said they were shocked by the violence, especially since they all knew each other.
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“We know they’re nice people. We talk always when we pick up the mail and they stop and say hello and we talk a little about family. Always nice and friendly, both of them,” neighbour Lottie Eelman told Global News on Monday.
Eelman and her husband say Butlin, a real estate agent, was a loving grandmother who they would see sometimes bringing her grandchildren to the bus.
With files from Steve Silva and Natasha Pace