Investigators Think Sayre Homicide, Arson Was Premeditated

A Sayre man was killed, his wife of 37 years was beaten and their house was torched by the woman's ex-boyfriend, according to police.

Police are not identifying the suspect but police said he came to the home of Jerry and Pam Essary from his home in Reno, Nevada, with one goal: to kill them both.   

11/22/2016 Related Story: OSBI Investigates Homicide, Arson After Badly-Burned Body Found Inside Sayre Home

"There has been some evidence that has been found that would indicate that it was premeditated,” said OSBI investigator Dannie Sanders. “We found some notes and some writings that would indicate that."

Police said Pam had been seeing the suspect off-and-on for about a year and a half. The family said she tried to break off the relationship so the suspect came to the Essarys' home, tied up Pam Essary, beat her and then shot her 64-year-old husband while she watched. 

Pam Essary escaped and hid in a car while police said the suspect torched the home.

"We didn't see it coming,” said the victim's son, Daniel Essary. “I mean there were some threats out there and stuff like that but nothing we took very seriously."

The couple’s son says his parents had problems, but his dad adored his mother.

"She’d leave and come back, but if we even moved anything out of place, he'd say, 'wait, no, that's not how it was when she was here,' and he just anxiously waiting for her to come back. And she would return to him and it was like she had never left. He always welcomed her," Daniel Essary said.

Police said Pam Essary suffered minor injuries. The suspect was found unconscious in his pickup.

Daniel Essary is left to try to explain to his 4-year-old son what happened to his grandfather 

"He said ‘I want to go to Papa's house. I want to go to Papa's house in your truck. Can we go to see papa and grandma?’ I said, 'OK son, well, I'll talk to you later.' I just I get off the phone with him. It's devastating," Daniel Essary said. "He was our hero. He still is our hero and now he is with the angels."

Investigators said the suspect should be charged after he gets out of the hospital.