Terminally ill husband murdered by wife who also killed children was 'bedridden'

A terminally ill father of three, who was shot dead alongside two of his children by his wife before she turned the gun on herself, was left "bedridden" in his final days.

On Monday, August 18, 2025, police were called to reports of multiple fatalities at a property in Madbury, New Hampshire, US. Tragically, an unimaginable scene was discovered as Ryan Long, 48, his wife Emily Long, 34, and their two children, Parker, eight, and Ryan, six, were all found dead at the family home.

The couple's three-year-old, the sole survivor, was found unharmed inside the residence by police. It is believed that the toddler was left alone in the house for several hours after the horrifying shootings.

READ MORE: Murder-suicide mum was 'at risk of losing home' before shooting terminally ill husband and kids

READ MORE: Emily Long murders: Orphaned boy's '12 hours' of horror as mum shoots entire family but spares toddler

A firearm was discovered near the bodies of the deceased, and autopsy results confirmed that Emily shot her husband multiple times, each child once in the head and finally herself. The horrific murder-suicide comes after Ryan was battling terminal glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer, which reportedly left him "bedridden".

"Ryan was bedridden, from what I gather, he was undergoing chemotherapy. He was just weak and sick," a friend of the family told the Daily Mail.

They also spoke about Emily struggling to cope with her husband's terminal brain cancer diagnosis and feeling unsatisfied with her job, having left her role at a small chicken wings chain. The friend revealed: "Emily had been fairly open about struggling with severe depression and not knowing how to explain to the kids that they were going to lose their father.

"She had also left her job, but was unhappy with her career, and they were obviously struggling with money and at risk of losing the house. Emily had a network of friends around her who knew what she was going through and, even so, were still shocked and caught off guard."

It remains a mystery as to why Emily let their youngest child survive after devastatingly shooting two of her children, whom she shared with Ryan. Their toddler is now reportedly being cared for by relatives as the family grapples with the heartbreaking tragedy.

Just two days prior to the shootings, Emily shared a distressing TikTok video where she discussed her battles dealing with her husband's terminal diagnosis. In her last video, the troubled influencer told her nearly 8K followers that her children were "definitely struggling" with her husband's diagnosis, but she remained committed to bettering her own mental health.

The mum made a tragic final promise to her family as she declared: "Today I decided I need to make a conscious effort to shift my mindset. I'm getting out of this depression whether I want to or not.

"I am determined to create normalcy. I'm trying to get myself out of the rut, our kids are definitely struggling, and now I'm starting to notice some changes in our 3-year-old."

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