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Staff file photo by Sam Yu
Frederick County sheriff’s deputies gather in April at the house on South Jefferson and Washington streets in Middletown. Authorities say Christopher A. Wood, 34, killed his wife, Francie Billotti-Wood, 33, and their three children, Chandler, 5, Gavin, 4, and Fiona, 2, on the night of April 16 or early April 17.
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Middletown -- Christopher A. Wood, who authorities say killed his wife and three children before committing suicide, tested positive for seven different drugs in his urine at the time of his April death.According to a toxicology report obtained by The Frederick News-Post on Wednesday, Wood had in his system oxycodone, zolpidem, alprazolam, nortriptyline, amitriptyline, bupropion, and acetaminophen. Two are pain relievers, one is for sleeping, one is for anxiety and three are anti-depressants. The autopsy and toxicology report were received from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner following a Public Information Act request. Frederick County Sheriff's Office Cpl. Jason West said Wood did not overdose on medication. All evidence indicated that Wood was taking his medicine as prescribed, West said. All of the drugs were legally prescribed to Wood, West said. He was under a doctor's care locally for his depression and had also been seen at Johns Hopkins Hospital. West declined to name the doctor Wood saw locally. Frederick County sheriff's detectives believe Wood, 34, killed his wife, Francie Billotti-Wood, 33, and their three children, Chandler, 5, Gavin, 4, and Fiona, 2, on the night of April 16 or early April 17. Billotti-Wood was last seen by a relative about 8:45 p.m. April 16. The sheriff's office will close the case as a murder-suicide, according to a press release sent Wednesday afternoon. Wood apparently used a small-caliber pistol to shoot Billotti-Wood and Chandler twice, Gavin three times and Fiona once. Detectives concluded the four deaths most likely occurred while they slept. All four were shot in the head and died from the gunshot wounds. After killing his family in their Middletown home, Wood waited to kill himself. He went on the Internet at some point and a baby sitter came to the home around 9 a.m. April 17 to make sure she would be caring for the three children while the couple went to a church event later that night. The baby sitter told investigators his demeanor was normal. Wood left behind six notes: four to his wife and children; one to his mother, father and sister; and a suicide note describing his day-to-day frustrations. The family was $460,000 in debt and Wood suffered from depression, which, according to his suicide note, had gotten worse though he had tried medications. Detectives think Wood died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after talking with the baby sitter. His death has been ruled a suicide while the others were deemed homicides. The family was found by a relative on April 18 after they had not been heard from for a day.
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