Red flags surfaced before Montana family massacre, new photos reveal troubling history

A Montana man, Alan Smith, 44, killed eight relatives at a Billings home, torched the house and died by suicide. A close friend of his sister, Megan Ghekiere, says Smith was verbally abusive and financially unstable, having left the home weeks earlier; investigators have not yet determined a motive as they comb through the ashes. The victims included Megan’s children, her parents, and a grandmother. Megan’s friend described her as a devoted mother, while the friend who reported red flags says the family did not anticipate violence, and authorities note there had been no prior contact with Smith.