The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office has identified the mother and two children who were killed in a Thursday, Feb. 26, murder-suicide in Lakewood Ranch.
Deputies responded around 8:30 p.m. to a residence in the 8200 block of Pavia Way in the Lake Club — an upscale gated community in Lakewood Ranch — for a welfare check requested by the children’s father, who was out of the country in South America.
When deputies arrived, they found Josh James, 14, and Emma James, 11, dead in separate rooms and their mother, Monika Rubacha, 44, also deceased. Officials said they encountered what appeared to be a violent murder scene.
What is known about the timeline of the Lakewood Ranch deaths?
Authorities are working to establish the timeline of the deaths. Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Randy Warren said a preliminary investigation suggests that Josh James may have died earlier than his sister and mother…