Maine Woman Is Killed by Husband in Murder-Suicide 3 Years After Her Dad, Mom Died the Same Way

Three years ago, Maine resident Jessica Dapolito was devastated when she learned that her father shot and killed her mother before turning the gun on himself.

Now her friends and family are shocked to learn that she suffered the same fate at the hands of her longtime partner, Robert Dapolito.

Jessica's murder came to light on Jan. 25 at about 9:40 a.m., when a Maine State Police Trooper and a Franklin County Sheriff's Deputy responded to a call from a loved one asking to check on her at the home in New Sharon where she lived with Robert, MSP say in a release.

There they found the bodies of an adult female and male, later identified as Jessica, 42, who authorities say was shot and killed by Robert, 55, who later turned the gun on himself.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled the deaths a domestic violence homicide-suicide.

As police continue to investigate, the couple's family are mourning their loss.

"On January 25th, 2021, our lives changed forever," LenaMarie Tufano wrote on a GoFundMe page she set up to help the couple's children defray funeral costs.

"We lost two of the most important people in our lives. We received the tragic news that Jessica and Robert Dapolito passed away. 

"Patrick and Casey's life were upturned that day. It was a shock to all who knew Jessica and Bob, especially their children (Casey and Patrick)," she wrote.

"They left behind a beloved Newfoundland named Athena and a grandson named Liam.

"Please think about these brothers as they process and work through the most difficult situation together. Because that's what families do. They stick together, regardless." 

Jessica attended Biddeford High School, according to her Facebook page.

Robert attended Telstar High School in Bethel and the University of Maine in Farmington. 

They both worked for a social service agency, according to the Sun Journal. 

Jessica was a "wonderful, kind, good-hearted person," Jessica's aunt, Suzanne Bourque, told the Sun Journal.

Jessica and Robert had been together for 23 years but were not married, she told the outlet.

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Along the way, Jessica changed her last name to Dapolito, she told the Sun Journal.

An avid gardener, "Her favorite thing was to play in the dirt," Bourque said.

She will remember her niece as "incredibly kind" with "a heart of gold. She will be incredibly missed," she told the Sun Journal.

Jessica's parents, Thomas and Michelle Masse of Temple, died on Jan. 9, 2018, in a murder-suicide, according to the Maine State Police.

Thomas, 60, died by suicide after shooting his wife, Michelle, 59, in the head, according to the Maine State Police.

That wasn't the only time they were faced with tragedy. In 2010, Robert's brother, Patrick, shot and killed his wife, Kelly Winslow at their home in Limington, CentralMaine.com reported.

Convicted in 2012, he is serving a 55-year prison sentence for her death, Boston.com reports.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

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