PORT JERVIS, N.Y. -- Stephen O'Donnell, the nephew of the late Deborah Roman, was the ring bearer in her marriage in 1999. He said he and his family never imagined being in the situation they're in now, having to say goodbye after a murder-suicide in Latham this week.
"They were happy," O'Donnell said of Deborah and Israel Roman. "They seemed to have had everything going for them."
It wasn't long before the couple moved away from Deborah's family to Albany and had two boys.
"They seemed pretty average for a policeman and a teacher," O'Donnell said.
Only, after being together for nearly two decades, the average life wasn't what it appeared to be. Police say that, on Tuesday, Israel shot Deborah and their 10-year-old son Nathan, set their Colonie home on fire, and then turned the gun on himself.
An officer in Port Jervis, Stephen said he never would have suspected this.
"We've been told the how," he said. "We've been told the facts. We've been told what happened. Nobody knows why. And that's the part that's going to eat us for months."
The Romans' oldest son wasn't home on Tuesday. Police have reason to believe his life was spared intentionally. Deborah and her son Nathan will be laid to rest where it all started -- a tragic end to what many thought was a promising beginning.
There will be a memorial mass for Deborah and Nathan on Tuesday at St. Mary's church in Port Jervis. Details aren't available yet for Israel's funeral arrangements.