Photo: FaceBook
The friends of Marla Jordan Hudgens have spoken out after her husband killed her and their three small children. Her friends revealed she was thinking about ending her marriage.
Jasen Michael Hudgens, 44,took the lives of his wifeMarla, 40, son Christopher Hudgens, 3, and 6-month-old twins Gwen and Faye Hudgens, according to Phoenix Police.
Marla’s friends tellArizona’s FamilythatMarla and Jasen’s marriagewas having trouble.
“We knew that that marriage was likely ending,” one of Marla’s best friends Brett Hagerty told the outlet.
Hagerty added that Marla wanted out of the marriage, however, there weren’t any warning signs that she was a victim of domestic violence.
“We never had any indication from her that she felt scared or threatened or unsafe,” Hagerty said.
Days before Marla and her children were killed, she attended a memorial for her sister, Lexa, who had taken her own life.
Marla and Jasen’s marital woes aside, her close friends still question why Jasen also murdered their children, who they welcomed after years of struggling with infertility.
“She did everything she could to bring them into existence,” Hagerty continued.
Andersen then shared sweet nicknames Marla had for her beloved children.
“She called them her hot dog and her hamburger because one was long and skinny and one was short and round,” said Andersen. “To think of her babies, and how they won’t even get to know how big of a person their mother was and they won’t get to experience it all because they didn’t get enough time either, it’s just too much.”
Both friends shared that Marla was very philanthropic and that they plan to join the cause against domestic violence as they believe Marla would have.
Marla was a partnerat the Phoenix office of the Lewis Roca law firm.
Ken Van Winkle, Jr., managing partner of Lewis Roca, says in a statement shared with PEOPLE, “We are overwhelmed with grief at the loss of our friend, colleague and partner, Marla Hudgens, and her family.”
Added Van Winkle: “We are in complete shock and are only just beginning to process this awful tragedy.”
“Marla was a passionate lawyer and advocate for her clients. She was an equally passionate leader who worked tirelessly to make our firm a better place. But more than that, Marla was a loving mother and loyal friend. The impact of this loss on the community and on our firm is immeasurable.”
She was also a dedicated soccer coach serving as the Director of Girls' Coaching at Madison Futbol Club. The club paid tribute to Marla on social media Friday.
“Marla means so much to so many, and was instrumental in building our girls club division,” the club wrote on Facebook.
“We are still reeling over the loss, but we will find a way to honor Marla as a club in the near future. We will share service arrangements as they are made available. Please reach out to someone you trust if you need someone to process this loss with or reach out to the MFC here and we can help connect you with support teams.”
A neighbor of the family, Hailey LeBlanc, told the outlet that she and the community remain in shock.
“It’s been difficult for me to process it. I know it’s been difficult for all of us to kind of understand what’s going on. I think we hear about it on news and other places but for it to happen to close to us is just a whole nother level of trying to understand and grieve.”
A friend of Jasen’s added toArizona’s Family, “Learning about this, it’s just shocking. There is no real right way to say it because he did a really bad thing but being a friend of his, he was a good dad.”
Police said in a previous release that open propane tanks were found inside the home. A gas line was also in the home and wasn’t attached to any appliances in the kitchen.
“Once inside, detectives discovered the bodies of two adults and three children from what are believed to be members of the same family. The bodies had obvious signs of trauma,” police said, adding, “Support services were offered to the neighbors of this tight-knit neighborhood and those associated with the victims.”
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go tothehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
source: people.com
