GRAND RAPIDS, The family of a man accused of killing his fiancée and her two teen sons says they are devastated and horrified by the allegations.
Jacqueline Neill, 40, and her sons, Michael Kilpatrick, 13, and Cameron Kilpatrick, 15, were fatally shot inside their home at 919 Worden St. SE near Kalamazoo Avenue on Tuesday, January 27.
Neill’s family has said she was a victim of domestic violence.
Her fiancé, Charles Lee Broomfield, 44, now faces three counts of first-degree premeditated murder. Authorities allege he shot and killed the family before calling 911 to claim armed intruders had broken in.
Grand Rapids police noted inconsistencies in Broomfield’s statements. Investigators said there were no footprints in the snow that intruders would have left. Broomfield also told police that one intruder took his pistol from an unlocked gun box, but officers later found the padlocked gun box in the backyard.
Police said Broomfield eventually confessed to the killings.
Broomfield, who had no previous criminal record, had lived in both the Battle Creek area and Grand Rapids.
Family members released a statement saying they had not been in contact with him in years and asked that their names not be used due to the sensitivity of the case.
“Our family is devastated by the loss of Jacqueline and her two children, Michael and Cameron,” the statement said.
“There are no words to adequately express the depth of our sorrow for their family and the entire community. Jacqueline, Michael, and Cameron were a vital part of many lives, and the loss is a profound tragedy that has left a void that can never be filled.”
The family acknowledged that Broomfield is a biological relative but said they have had no communication with him in more than a decade.
“To learn of these events from afar has been heartbreaking. We do not recognize the person described in these reports as the person we once knew, and we stand with the community in mourning the lives that were taken.”
Over the weekend, family, friends, and community members gathered at candlelight prayer vigils in the Grand Rapids area to honor the victims and support surviving relatives.
The boys’ father, Conrad Kilpatrick, said the families are devastated by the loss.
Michael and Cameron attended Kenowa Hills Public Schools. The family previously lived in Appletree Estates in Walker before recently moving to the home on Worden Street.
Jacqueline Neill is survived by her daughters, Abby Barnes, 21, and Sophia Kilpatrick, 20, as well as several siblings.
Neill and Broomfield also shared a 5-year-old son, who was inside the house during the incident but was not harmed. Barnes, his elder half-sister, is now caring for him.
Broomfield’s family issued the statement in response to requests for comment, saying their thoughts and prayers remain with the victims’ loved ones.
“We stand in support of the victims’ family and ask that everyone join us in focusing solely on their memory and their need for peace and healing.”
Broomfield is being held without bond on the murder charges, along with three counts of felony firearm.
He is scheduled for a probable-cause conference on February 10 in Grand Rapids District Court, with a preliminary examination set for February 17 to determine whether he should stand trial in Kent County Circuit Court.
