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Sister of murder-suicide victim says boyfriend became paranoid, thinking people wanted to kill him

By and David Komer online producer
Published  May 28, 2021 10:21pm EDT
Crime and Public Safety
FOX 2 Detroit

WARREN, Mich. (FOX 2) - Flames can be seen on a neighbor's surveillance camera coming from a Warren home on Fairfield Friday morning. But once the blaze stopped burning beneath the rubble revealed a far more heinous act.

"He never hurt my sister, honestly I never thought he would hurt my sister, until I woke up to the news this morning," said Diane Skoczylas.

Sister of woman killed in murder-suicide says boyfriend became paranoid before tragedy

Flames can be seen on a neighbor's surveillance camera coming from a Warren home on Fairfield Friday morning. But once the blaze stopped burning beneath the rubble revealed a far more heinous act.

Skoczylas learned Friday that her sister died in an apparent murder-suicide.

"The firefighters found the two decedents in the kitchen, obviously called the police department," said Warren Police Commissioner Bill Dwyer. "We responded and we took control of the scene."

Dwyer says 37-year-old Nick Prentiss shot his girlfriend, 34-year-old Trish Skoczylas, and set a couple of fires in the house - and then turned the gun on himself.

Police recovered the weapon inside and found the couple's great Dane unharmed in the backyard.

Investigators spent much of Friday interviewing family, friends and neighbors - trying to determine what may have triggered the incident.

Trish's sister told FOX 2 the couple who had been together for about a decade, had a great relationship until last fall - when Nick started having issues.

"He started having thoughts of people trying to kill him, people were trying to kill my sister, people at work watching him," she said. "My sister had to turn the TV off because he said it was bugged and people were listening to him.

Victim Trish Skoczylas

Victim Trish Skoczylas

"We sat down and talked to him you need help, he said I am not crazy."

Diane says despite his struggles, her sister stuck with Prentiss. She wants her sister's murder to serve as a warning to other women. If you sense your partner may be having thoughts like this - it's time to get out.

"He didn't have to take her away," she said. "All she did was stand by him and support him. And I think people not be afraid of the stigma of mental health in this country because I think if he saw someone, it would have never got to this level."