Husband Kills 7-Year-Old and Baby After Mom Tried to Leave: Police

An Ohio mother was reportedly trying to. escape a dangerous situation with her. two young boys believing her husband was. out of town but police say he wasn't and. what happened next is a parent's worst. nightmare. Police say he killed her two. children, a 7-year-old boy and his baby. brother right in front of her. The. devastating details of a case that has. destroyed a family we are going to talk. about and we are going to break it all. down with a retired detective commander. Welcome to Sidebar presented by Law &.

Crime. I'm Jesse Weber. [Music]. Look, here's the truth as we're covering. this kind of story. Staying on top of. the news is so important but with all. the media bias these days, who knows. what to believe? That is why I want to. introduce you to our sponsor Straight. Arrow News, okay? So, Straight Arrow. News is a personalized news platform. that gives readers fact-based journalism. to inform and build trust. Its Media. Miss Tool shows readers headlines that. are not seen in mainstream outlets. providing useful commentary that cuts.

through all of that sensational spin. Their site, their app, it also points. out the bias with their Media Landscape. Tool to group sources by political. leaning for full transparency. So, if. you're ready for a better way to get the. news, go to san.com/sidebar. just click the link in my description. This is Straight Arrow News, you skip. the drama, you get the facts. Welcome. back to trustworthy journalism. This is. a video of two brothers, 7-year-old Wren. pushing his 7-month-old brother August. in a swing out in Tiffin, Ohio. Their.

mother shared this moment of pure joy on. Facebook just days ago. But now she is living a nightmare after. a horrific act of violence that has left. an entire community in Ohio reeling. Police say this mother was in the. process of finally leaving her home in. Tiffin after domestic issues. She was. there with the father of her eldest son, Dustin Willy, gathering their things. while they believed her husband was out. of town. But this husband, 42-year-old. Ryan Eagan, wasn't out of town. What.

happened next was an ambush that. unfolded right in the family's driveway. Police say Eagan emerged, immediately. chased down Dustin, and shot him. He then turned the gun on his two. children, fatally shooting both the 7-year-old and. the 7-month-old infant before firing. again at Dustin. And by the way, that 7-month-old was Eagan's son. And in the end, four people were dead.

and the mother was the only one left at. the scene. And we're going to explain. that a little bit more. So, let me walk. you through exactly what we know based. on official police releases and the. family's own heartbreaking posts in the. days surrounding this tragedy. It all. leads up to the evening of Wednesday, November 19th, 2025. According to local. police in the community of Tiffin, Ohio, a mother was making what should have. been a hopeful move after what police. described as ongoing domestic issues in.

the home, she decided to leave. So, she. was at her house on Huss Street packing. up her belongings with the help of. Dustin. And Dustin, by the way, wasn't. just a friend helping out, he was the. father of her 7-year-old son, Wren. And the plan, according to authorities, was to do all of this while they. believed her husband, Eagan, was working. out of town. So, picture the scene for a. second, okay? The mother and Dustin, they're inside the house, they're. gathering the last of the items, and. meanwhile her two children are outside. waiting near the car.

Her two boys, again, 7-year-old Wren, who had just celebrated his birthday a. few days earlier, and his little. brother, 7-month-old August. 6:24 p.m. The entire plan shatters. Police say. they were dispatched to the home after a. 911 call reported gunshots and sounds of. screaming. The caller, identified as a. female and presumably the children's. mother, was described by officers as. physically unhurt but in their words, quote, clearly in a state of shock,

overwhelmed, and visibly traumatized. When police arrive, they find a scene of. utter horror. They find an adult male, identified as Dustin, they find these. two young boys, Wren and August, all. suffering from gunshot wounds. And they. see this mother. Now, August was pronounced dead at the. scene. Wren, Dustin, they were. transported to a hospital but. tragically, despite everyone's best. efforts, both Wren and Dustin later died. from their injuries.

And outside the house, officers made. another critical discovery. They located. a second adult male, also deceased, and. that was this husband, this apparent. shooter, Ryan Eagan. So, what exactly. unfolded in that driveway to lead to. this? To help us break it down and all. the evidence here and what this response. must must have looked like, I want to. bring on a special guest, retired. detective commander Will Speelar. Will, thank you so much for coming on. Um this. is an incredibly diff- difficult case.

Uh I imagine a very difficult crime. scene. to process. Um let's go from the. beginning here. What do you think was. the first thing that likely signaled to. responding officers that this was a. domestic violence situation that had. escalated and how do you respond to. these kinds of events? You know, in this particular case, um. there was a victim that was left alive. And I say victim because. the mother is a victim. Let's let's not.

Let's not confuse anything. She's a. victim. She was left alive. So, I imagine she was very traumatized. I. imagine she was in shock but you still. had of someone that could kind of tell. you what was going on. And then you just have to, you know, once you try to aid the. injured, once you try to. uh mitigate any kind of threat that may. still be on the scene, you got to slow. things down and then you got to start. your investigation. But you're talking. four victims, two went to the hospital, two were pronounced on scene, and a. surviving witness.

Um. you you. it's so difficult to talk about how you. respond to something like that or what. you see or what goes through your mind. when you see something like that, especially when you're dealing with. children. 100% 100% and you know, this. 911 call. reported gunshots and screaming. It's. kind of hard to process what that scene. must have looked like and what that. event must have looked like but you have. you have a sole witness here, right? You. have. this mother.

and how emotional that must be for her. What is how do you get information from. a witness like that? I mean, if she, you know, I don't even know how you how. how you even sit down with her, how you. even try to get her recollection of what. happened. I imagine there's an urgency. in understanding what happened. I don't. even know how you approach something. like that. That's got to be done by a. psychologist or psychiatrist. Someone's. going to have to. get past the trauma. We as first. responders when we get there, our main.

priority is aid the injured. Um. she had been taken to the hospital, had. to be put under evaluation, medicated. Um and you really can't talk to people. when they're in that state. uh because it's just too injurious to. them. And it's a possibility you're not. going to get a bunch of information. Now, the 911 call tells police if there's. going to be potential for violence, someone's might be hurt. Um you get. there, you see one body outside,

three inside. You know something really bad has. happened there. I mean, you know, let's. state the obvious. Now, the woman's. still alive so she's possibly giving. some information but as far as as a. listening uh any kind of a. coherent or detailed account of what. happened, you're going to have to get. some help with that. As a first. responder, we're just not equipped for. that. Yeah. Yeah, I understand. Um I and you. know what's shocking? First of all, let. me ask you this. Even when you have the.

suspected shooter dead, the. investigation's not over, right? Why? What what are they looking for? What are. what are they what's the next steps? Uh. as a matter of fact, it's just beginning. when you when you when you know that. Now, what you know there is you're not. you're you're probably not going to have. a prosecution but it doesn't mean you're. not going to have an investigation. You. have to make sense of what happened. there. You have four bodies that you. have to account for and how that. happened. And in in an investigation, the only difference between this. investigation and investigation where. you're going to charge somebody is. there's a criminal prosecution. There's.

no criminal prosecution in this case, obviously, but it doesn't change the. investigation at all. You're going to. handle it just like it's a homicide. you're going to take to court. And and. they say uh authorities say that this. husband, Ryan Eagan, father of one of the. children, they thought that he was going. to be out of town but authorities say. the evidence suggests he was just lying. in wait and in an ambush style attack. Is that something you've seen before in. these domestic violence situations? Um. you're talking about the idea of them.

moving away, they're trying to get out. of there, this level of uh premeditation. state of mind. Um is that something. common in your experience? Jesse, there. is no more volatile situation than a. domestic situation because if you think. about it, who makes you the most angry in your. life? Is it general people on the street. or is it people that you're the closest. to? That you feel the the strongest. emotional tie. creates the most anger. The only thing I can say about a. situation like this, she's trying to get.

away, she's bringing someone with her to. help her get her belongings but what we. find, and I've seen this multiple occasions, you need to call the police. and to have them with you there. when you're getting your stuff out of. the house. And if they say they don't. have somebody available, you go back. another time. because as I you know, as I said, there's nothing more volatile, nothing. more explosive than a domestic. situation. And in this case, if what the. authorities are saying is correct, he.

was laying in wait, he knew what he was going to do. You you got to make that call. You got. to get someone there with you. in law enforcement. And we will do that. And I know Chicago Police Department. it's it's policy because we had an. incident years back where. the same situation, the woman comes to. get some stuff out of the house, the. guy's in the house, he kills her with. the police standing on the front porch. You you can't you can't have that. happen. So, if there's any way to prevent something. like this, you got to have somebody with. you. Talk talk to me about what how you think. about this.

this attack, right? This timeline here. Because if you read the the release from. police, uh Ryan immediately chased Dustin, pushed past the mother, fired multiple. shots, then we know that Ryan turns the gun on. the children. in a horrific fashion, fires. additionally at at Dustin, and then we know that he turns the gun. on himself, um and then leaves the. mother. Right, leaves the mother alive. I think that says something, too. That. says everything right there. He.

he talk about he takes out the biggest. threat first, right? The adult male. He's going to take he's going. to go after him first. The but I'm going. to tell you this, he kills those. children and leaves her alive, so she. has to live with that every day for the. remainder of her life. That's why. that person. did that. It's to make her suffer as. much as as he possibly could. And then. and and him dying, right, means that not.

only there will be no prosecution, doesn't suffer the consequences of his. of his purported actions. No, I I think. he I think he probably knew what his. plan was going to be. And and the way he can inflict the most. damage, I mean, let's think about this. What would hurt somebody more than that? And it's and it's not a it's not an. everyday occurrence where a male kills. his own children. It happens. But he's already he made up his mind. what his plan was going to be. before he did it. And his plan was to. hurt her as much as he possibly could.

And I want to add this. We now know more. about those critical minutes in the. driveway, and this is all thanks to a. detailed update that police released the. next day. It fills in just the. devastating sequence of events. So, police say that while this mother and. Dustin were inside the house, they heard. this 7-year-old cry out. When they went. to check on him, they find Ryan Eagan. outside. According to witness statements, physical evidence, again, Eagan starts. chasing Dustin, pushes past the mother, fires the shots, turns the gun on the.

children, shot both boys, according to a. post from woman identifying herself as. the grandmother. August was still strapped into his car. seat. The grandma even writes that the. children's mother begged him. to kill her, too, chose not to. And police also say that the mother. reported that she carried her children. back inside the home. before first responders even arrived. You know, Will, in one hand it's I imagine it's very.

difficult to be clinical about this and. try to look at a crime scene and see a. sequence of events and look at this. without the emotion getting involved. Um. because it it is difficult to process. somebody doing this in such a blatant. and callous and disgusting way. And again, you know, adding the idea of. this mother trying to plead, take my. life, too, after all of this, and he. wouldn't. Um those details. really tell another part of the story.

Absolutely, they do. And and and again, as we talked about before, this is this. is a plan to inflict the most pain that. he can inflict on this woman. And. and that's what he exactly what he did. So, I guess in his eyes it's mission. accomplished. Um you don't have to face the. consequences on this side of the realm, anyway. And. it's just it's so devastating. And. again, we go back to the fact that these. domestic situations are so volatile. and there's so much emotion and so much.

anger that. you know, it's just it doesn't seem. rational for us when we think about it. But in that person's mind it makes. perfect sense. Yeah. Uh and look, beyond the police reports, beyond this horrific crime, beyond the. details, we go back to the human element. of this. This is a story about. the profound and beautiful lives that. were lost. Because in the days following. this tragedy, the boys' mother began to. share her memories online, painting a. picture of these two little boys who.

were her entire world. Just days before. this happened, she had celebrated her. son Ren's seventh birthday. She wrote on. Facebook, "Oh, what I wouldn't do to have that. cheeky little blue-eyed baby back. But. at the same time, it's awesome watching. you grow into the responsible, smart, caring, loving little boy I know today. Mommy is so proud of you in so many. ways.". And just one day after the shooting on. November 20th, she posted that video of. Ren pushing August in the swing. The caption she wrote is.

absolutely shattering. She said, "My. babies were seven. Seven years and seven. months, my babies were seven. My babies. are asleep and I want to go to sleep. with them. I want to wake up from this. nightmare to my happy, smiling children. God, make this stop. It can't be real. God, please. God, make it stop. I. carried them, God. I carried them. My. whole life is gone.". And then on November 22nd, she shared an. even longer, more detailed post pouring. the love out that she has for her. children. She described Ren as her.

blue-eyed, beautiful boy with a heart of. gold. She said he was the little. heartthrob of his first grade class and. that he loved bringing her love notes. from school. She remembered her baby August as her. newborn angel. She wrote that he loved. orange foods like sweet potatoes and. carrots, that his favorite song was Baby. Beluga, and that he was a celebrity. everywhere we went. You know, Will, you think about the. journey. that she has to now go on. You think. about the journey that survivors have to. go on, those who lose loved ones.

What is it like for them? Um. what do you anticipate for them? What is. the help that they can get? Because I. will just tell you. there was a GoFundMe that has been. established for this grieving mother. And its description lays out, you know, the stark reality that she now faces. So, the fundraiser is to help with. funeral expenses for Ren and August, and. again, for that critical therapy that. she will need to even begin to cope, for. the basic living expenses that she's. going to need while she grieves. Talk to. me about that journey of these victims.

There there's programs for victims where. they can get help through the police. department, through the county, through. the state that the the help will be. provided for them. You talk about the. GoFundMe. And that's wonderful. That's. that's people trying to do whatever they. can. And in in cases like this, what. else can people do but try to donate a. little something to help her get through. the initial phase of this. But when. we're talking about. the trauma and the long-term trauma, I. can't even imagine. what this what this poor woman's going. to have to go through for the rest of.

her life. Um you talk about clinically. Clinically, for law enforcement, it's pretty cut and dry. Once you once. you find out how it went down, your case. is pretty easy to write up. I don't want. you know, I just want to say that like. we talked about, just a clinical thing. to try to not make it. emotional and personal. As far as law. enforcement goes, it's a pretty cut and. dry case. There's forensics that have to. be done and stuff like that. But as far. as how this woman's going to proceed. with the rest of her life, not only her, but the people around her, the.

grandparents, the community, the first. responders who had to see it, this is something that is, you know, mental health professionals are going to. have to get involved with. And I think. there's there's some available in. Illinois, anyway, for victims through the police. department, through the county, through. the state. Um. whatever it takes, it has to be provided for this poor. woman. Will Aguilar, thank you for taking the. time. Really appreciate it. Anytime, Jesse. And that's all we have for you right now.

here on Sidebar. Everybody, thank you so. much for joining us. And as always, please subscribe on YouTube, Apple. Podcast, Spotify, wherever you should. get your podcasts. You can follow me on. X or Instagram. I'm Jesse Weber. I'll. speak to you next time. [Music].