PETER MILES
In 2018, Peter Miles killed his wife, Cynda, 58, his daughter, Katrina, 35, and her four children – daughter Taye, 13, and sons, Rylan, 12, Arye, 10, and Kadyn, 8 – before taking his own life.
Police arrived at the family farm in Osmington, 20km north east of Margaret River in Western Australia, to discover the horrific act of violence.
A close friend of the couple, Janice Morris, claimed Miles had been suffering since his son’s suicide 15 years earlier.
“Peter had a breakdown,” Janice told WHO magazine.
“He was having counselling and treatment for depression. Peter had just come to the thought that he was useless and he was in a bad place.”
Family friend Bee Winfield also said that Miles had “gone to the doctors for help”.
“It seems the antidepressants he had been prescribed were not working,” she told Perth Now.
She added that some antidepressant medication had “no warnings on the box” but came with the risk of “terrible side effects” including suicidal thoughts or thoughts of harming others.
Neighbour Felicity Haynes knew that Miles was depressed for quite some time and that Cynda was struggling too.
“(Cynda) said to me, ‘There are a few difficulties at home.’
Peter was becoming less rational and that was a worry to her,” said Felicity.
Cynda also wrote a message to one of her friends, Cath Miller, a day before the fatal shootings.
“Peter seems to be getting worse and worse so I don’t know that he is going to be able to do the yeomans plough – can you find someone else? Really sorry to let you down but I thought better to let you know than hang on hoping he improves,” she said.
Sadly, it was all too late. Miles’ severe depression got the better of him and he made the decision to kill his innocent family.