Neighbor Kristen Breelove pauses after leaving flowers on the porch of a home Thursday, July 10, 2014, in Spring, Texas. where six family members were shot to death the night before. he Harris County... (Associated Press) 
 
 SPRING, Texas (AP) — A man charged with killing four children and their parents forced his way into the family's suburban Houston home, tied them up and shot them in the back of the head when they refused to tell him where his ex-wife was, authorities said Thursday. 
 
 The lone survivor of the attack, the slain couple's 15-year-old daughter, suffered a fractured skull when a bullet grazed her head. She played dead and called 911 after Ronald Lee Haskell left the house, prosecutors said at a court hearing. 
 
 A day after the slayings, investigators slowly built a picture of Haskell, who was the couple's estranged brother-in-law. 
 
 The 33-year-old man is accused of killing his ex-wife's sister, Katie Stay, and her husband and the children, ranging in age from 4 to 14, after binding them and putting the family face-down on the floor of their home. 
 
 Haskell had a handful of previous run-ins with law enforcement in Utah, where he had lived with his wife. Neighbors said Haskell's marriage was so rocky that Stay went to Utah last fall to help her sister escape the relationship and start a new life in Texas. 
 
 Stay "was very instrumental in helping her sister get here so she could have a fresh start. Katie's a spitfire. She has energy to stand up for what she believes is right and true," said Verena Beckstrand, a neighbor who choked back tears as she talked about the family. 
 
 Haskell had previously been jailed in 2008 in Logan, about 80 miles north of Salt Lake City, on charges of assault and domestic violence. His wife told police he dragged her by her hair and struck her in the head in front of their children. 
 
 Those charges were later dismissed as part of a plea deal, according to information released Thursday by Logan authorities. 
 
 Haskell was also served last year with a protective order from his ex-wife. It was dismissed in October after the couple filed for divorce, online court records show. 
 
 By Thursday morning, a small memorial with three candles and a plant had been set up at the front door of the family's two-story white-brick and brown wood-trimmed home. A couple with a child left a framed photo of the family with the inscription "Faith, Hope, Love." 
 
 "I don't think any of us will ever be able to see that house the same again," said Viri Palacios, who lives across the street. "I just want the word to get out they were a really, really good family." 
 
 The father, Stephen Stay, was a real estate broker. The mother was a helpful presence around the neighborhood, planning Halloween and Christmas parties for children, Palacios said. 
 
 A few blocks from the home at Lemm Elementary School, Principal Kathy Brown tied multi-colored ribbons around trees in front of the building and encouraged parents to do the same. 
 
 "It's to have positive bright thoughts about the family," Brown said, noting that two of the slain children had attended school there and a third had graduated from Lemm. 
 
 Documents from Thursday's preliminary court hearing say that the daughter who survived attempted to close the door after telling Haskell her parents were not home. But he allegedly kicked it in. The teen remained in critical condition in a Houston hospital. 
 
 In a statement, issued Thursday through the Harris County Sheriff's Office, Katie Stay's father, Roger Lyon, said his 15-year-old granddaughter "is expected to make a full recovery." 
 
 When the badly wounded daughter contacted authorities, she told them the gunman was planning to shoot other relatives, Harris County Constable Ron Hickman said. Police located Haskell's car and took him into custody after a three-hour standoff. 
 
 "We are grateful for this miracle," Lyon said in his statement. "We are in awe of her bravery and courage in calling 911, an act that is likely to have saved all of our lives. She is our hero." 
 
 Haskell was wearing a FedEx shirt at the time of the attack, but authorities seemed uncertain whether it was a deliberate attempt to deceive. 
 
 Hickman initially said Haskell showed up at the Stay home "in the guise of a FedEx driver." 
 
 But he and other officials later declined to say whether Haskell used the uniform to gain access to the home. Hickman said investigators were not sure whether the suspect would have needed a disguise to get in the house, or if the children knew him. 
 
 Haskell had once done work for FedEx but not since January, the company said in a statement. 
 
 Online jail records did not list an attorney for Haskell, who was initially misidentified by authorities as the slain children's father. Police did not explain the mistake. 
 
 A divorce decree issued in February shows Haskell and Melanie Kaye Haskell were married in 2002 in Orange County, California. They separated in June 2013. 
 
 A judge granted joint custody of the couple's four children, ranging in age from 3 to 11, with Haskell's wife getting primary custody. 
 
 At the time of the divorce, Haskell was making $2,300 a month, although the records do not say what kind of work he did. He was ordered to pay $773 per month in child support. His wife was given the house, valued at $190,000, in the small town of Smithfield, Utah, just outside Logan. 
 
 On Thursday, the sheriff's office in San Diego County, California, said that Haskell's mother reported an argument with her son July 2 at her home in San Marcos, California. A statement from the sheriff's office says at one point Karla Haskell tried to leave the house to call for help, but her son physically restrained her and kept her from leaving. Ronald Haskell finally left after a few hours, and his mother contacted 911, the statement says. She later obtained a restraining order against her son. 
 
 That case is still under investigation, according to the statement. 
 
 ___ 
 
 Associated Press writers Emily Schmall in Fort Worth, David Warren in Dallas and Brady McCombs in Salt Lake City contributed to this report. 
 
 ___ 
 
 Plushnick-Masti can be followed on Twitter at https://twitter.com/RamitMastiAP . 

 Suspected gunman in mass shooting had history of violence 
 
 HOUSTON – Long before Ron Haskell was charged with killing six members of his family in Spring, there were signs of violence 1500 miles away. 
 
 Before a recent divorce, Haskell lived in Logan, Utah with his wife Melanie and their four children. Court records obtained by the I-Team show their 11-year-marriage was turbulent, and at times, violent. 
 
 Haskell roughed up his ex-wife in front of their children in 2008 
 
 “She alleged that he had dragged her by her hair, out of the bedroom, and assaulted her hitting her in the head,” said Captain Tyson Budge of Logan City Police. 
 
 “And then he did it again later in the evening she was in the children’s room by her hair, and hit her,” Tyson said. 
 
 Ronald Haskell was arrested for simple assault and domestic violence in the presence of children. 
 
 He pleaded guilty in abeyance, which is a legal term allowing him to complete probation and later dismiss charges on his record. 
 
 
 
 But that wasn’t the end of their marital problems. 
 
 
 
 Captain Budge said in September 2009, Haskell called police claiming he found a suicide note written by his wife. 
 
 
 
 In October of 2013 a protective order, filed by wife Melanie, was issued against Ron Haskell. Police said he violated it the very same day by going to their children’s school. But it was unclear if he was actually served the order, and no charges were ever filed. 
 
 The following day, Captain Budge said Logan Police received a call from Haskell’s brother concerned about his whereabouts and well-being. 
 
 The couple finalized their divorce on February 14, 2014—Valentine’s Day. 
 
 The Decree of Divorce required visitation of the children to be supervised. 
 
 “Until Respondent (Ron Haskell) receives a psychological evaluation, and provides documentation from his evaluator, that he is mentally and emotionally stable enough to care for the children on his own, Respondent’s parent time shall be supervised,” the decree states. 
 
 The court document also spelled out terms of a mutual restraining order, including staying away from each other’s residence, and not committing or threatening to commit any form of violence against each other. 
 
 But it all ended in the most violent of ways. 
 
 
 
 Ron Haskell followed his ex-wife to Houston, and when he couldn’t find her, it was his ex-wife’s sister and family that died. 
 
 “It’s horrific,” said Capt. Budge. 
 
 “It’s hard to wrap my mind around it. So many people have been affected by this one man’s (alleged) actions. I just can’t understand it,” he said. 
 
 

 SHE'S TRULY A HERO, THANK YOU FOR YOUR REPORTING. "LOCAL 2" HAS A TEAM OF INVESTIGATORS DIGGING INTO THE SUSPECT, RONALD LEE HASKELL'S PAST. WE'VE LEARNED HASKELL'S VIOLENT RAMPAGE BEGAN A WEEK AGO IN THE SAN DIEGO AREA WHERE HE'S ACCUSED OF ATTACK HIS OWN MOTHER FOR HOURS BEFORE HEADING THEN TO HOUSTON. "LOCAL 2" INVESTIGATOR JACE LARSON JOINS US LIVE FROM THE SAN DIEGO AREA WITH MORE ON WHAT HE HAS UNCOVERED THERE. Reporter: WE ARRIVED A FEW HOURS AGO AND WE ARE LEARNING LOTS OF NEW INFORMATION. LAW ENFORCEMENT SOURCE HAS CONFIRMED TO "LOCAL 2" INVESTIGATES THAT THIS SUSPECT SPENT TIME IN A MENTAL HEALTH FACILITY AND AT ONE POINT WALKED AWAY FROM A MENTAL HEALTH FACILITY. WE'VE ALSO LEARNED BEFORE THE RAMPAGE IN HOUSTON, HE ACTUALLY WENT TO THIS HOUSE RIGHT HERE AND ALLEGEDLY THREATENED TO KILL HIS OWN MOTHER. NO ONE ANSWERED THE DOOR TONIGHT, BUT HIS MOM CRIED AS SHE TOLD A BRITISH NEWSPAPER THAT SHE CAN'T WATCH NEWS ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED IN HOUSTON. LAST WEDNESDAY SHE HAD TO CALL POLICE. SHE SAID HER SON FORCED HER INTO THE GARAGE, BUT WHEN SHE SCREAMED FOR HELP, HE THEN FORCED HER BACK INSIDE THE HOUSE. CARLA HASKELL SAYS RONALD USED DUCT TAPE TO TIE HER HANDS TOGETHER AND KEEP HER THERE FOR FOUR HOURS. THESE COURT RECORDS FROM HERE IN CALIFORNIA ALLEGE HE CHOKED HER, MADE HER PASS OUT, AND EVEN THREATENED TO KILL HER. THE RECORDS SAY RONALD WAS ANGRY THAT HIS MOM HAD CONTACTED HIS EX-WIFE, MELANIE. A YEAR AGO, HASKELL WAS SERVED WITH A PROTECTIVE ORDER IN UTAH BARRING HIM FROM CONTACTING MELANIE OR HIS OWN FOUR CHILDREN. BUT THAT'S NOT ALL THAT'S IN HIS RECORD. IN 2008, HASKELL ALLEGEDLY DRAGGED HIS EX-WIFE BY HER HAIR AND HIT HER IN FRONT OF THE CHILDREN. "LOCAL 2" INVESTIGATES HAS LEARNED RIGHT HAND HASKELL'S KIDS AND EX-WIFE MOVED TO THE HOUSTON AREA TO GET AWAY FROM HIM AND HE MAY HAVE COME TO HOUSTON TO KILL HER FAMILY, ANGRY THEY HELPED HER GET AWAY. AFTER THE INCIDENT THAT ALLEGEDLY HAPPENED A WEEK AGO, HIS MOTHER WAS ABLE TO GO TO A JUDGE AND GET A PROTECTIVE ORDER. LIVE NEAR SAN DIEGO, JACE LARSON, KPRC "LOCAL 2". NICE WORK. THANK YOU. HERE IS WHAT'S NEXT. THE SUSPECT IS DUE IN COURT TOMORROW MORNING. WE'LL BE THERE, OF COURSE. A CELEBRATION OF LIFE FOR THE VICTIMS IS PLANNED FOR SATURDAY. YOU'LL FIND DETAILS ON CLICK2HOUSTON.COM, ALONG WITH A LINK TO THAT GO FUND ME SITE TO 
 
 HARRIS COUNTY, Texas - 
 
 Many disturbing details are surfacing about the violent past of a man accused of killing six members of his ex-wife's family -- including four children -- and critically injuring a teen girl. 
 
 The injured teen was able to tip deputies off to his next intended target, bringing Ronald Lee Haskell's shooting spree to an end. After an hours-long standoff with SWAT negotiators, the 33-year-old was taken into custody. 
 
 Haskell is the ex-husband of Melanie Kay Haskell. Melanie's sister, Katie Stay, lived with her husband, Stephen, and five children in Spring. On Wednesday, investigators say the Stay's 15-year-old daughter, Cassidy, answered a knock at the door that changed all of their lives forever. 
 
 According to court documents, Cassidy said her "ex-uncle" was wearing a FedEx shirt when he came to their home asking for her parents. When she told him they weren't there, he left, but returned a short time later. The second time, investigators wrote that he forced his way inside. 
 
 The documents state Haskell tied Cassidy up and waited for the rest of her family to come home. When they did, they were all bound and forced face-down on the floor. The court documents read that Haskell asked his in-laws where his wife was, and when no one could tell him, he shot them all execution-style. Court documents state he shot each one in the head. 
 
 The bullet meant to kill Cassidy only fractured her skull, and investigators say the teen played dead until her uncle left. Afterward, she called 911 for help. 
 
 Investigators say Cassidy put up her hand when she was shot, deflecting the bullet just enough to change its trajectory and save her life. We're told she lost a finger in the shooting. 
 
 Cassidy gave officers valuable information, saying she believed Haskell was going to kill her grandparents. Authorities managed to cut him off and after a police chase and a standoff for several hours barricaded by SWAT vehicles, he lowered the gun he held to his head and gave up. 
 
 Ronald Haskell was jailed with no bond and charged with capital murder. 
 
 Records show it wasn't his first run-in with the law, nor was it his first criminal act involving his wife or children. Records show the family had domestic issues in Utah. 
 
 According to the Cache County Sheriff's Office, Haskell has had several involvements with the Logan City Police Department and was incarcerated in the Cache County Jail in 2008. 
 
 NBC News Investigative Unit uncovered a police report from June 2008. Melanie Haskell called police and told investigators her husband had dragged her out of the bedroom by the hair and hit her in the side of the head. Ronald Haskell, however, said he had simply pushed her. Both told officers that he was stressed at work and they were not getting along. The report noted that there were two children, believed to be ages 3 and 5, home with them at the time. Ronald Haskell later pleaded guilty to a charge of simple assault. The crime was considered a misdemeanor. 
 
 In September 2009, NBC News Investigative Unit learned Ronald Haskell flagged down a police officer in Utah and told them that his wife had gone missing. He said Melanie left a note saying she was going away and would miss him and their children, and that she was holding them back. Ronald said he thought Melanie would kill herself. Police put out a bulletin, but Ronald later said he had found his wife and was taking her to the hospital. 
 
 Then on July 8, 2013, Melanie Haskell filed a protective order against her husband in Utah. He was served the following day, exactly one year before he allegedly killed her sister's family. 
 
 Melanie Haskell filed for divorce in August 2013. In October of that year, a protective order she filed against Ronald was dismissed as they both agreed to a mutual restraining order in the divorce action. The parties also agreed to custody arrangements involving the children. The judge said that Ronald Haskell's visits were to be supervised by a psychologist. 
 
 "The parties agree that Ms. Haskell will have primary physical custody with the parties having joint legal custody. Mr. Haskell will have a breaking parent time period working into standard visitation. Mr. Haskell's parent time will be supervised until such time that his physical therapist can report that the respondent is no longer a threat to the children," the judge wrote. 
 
 Ronald Haskell's family members were also concerned about him. 
 
 During the divorce proceedings, Ronald Haskell's brother called from California and asked police to conduct a welfare check. He said he was worried Ronald would hurt himself because he was upset about the divorce. The brother then called back later and withdrew his concerns, telling them he had talked to him. 
 
 And just last week, on July 2, 2014, Ronald Haskell's mother called police in San Marcos, California. She told officers that Ronald became angry after she made contact with his ex-wife. Court documents show Haskell forced his mother into the garage where he taped her wrists together with duct tape and taped her arm to a chair. Karla Haskell told investigators he yelled at her and tried to choke her, causing her to pass out. 
 
 Karla Haskell told police he threatened to kill her and her family. Court documents show she was tied up for four hours. She described injuries around her neck and shoulder. A temporary restraining order was granted and a court hearing was scheduled for July 25. 
 
 But investigators say Ronald Haskell went on a shooting rampage Wednesday killing Katie, Stephen, Rebecca, Emily, Bryan and Zachary Stay. The children were all between the ages of 4 and 13. 
 
 Their family members say because Cassidy survived, the lives of other family members were possibly spared.
– Cassidy Stay, the 15-year-old girl who saved her grandparents from the gunman who massacred the rest of her family, is expected to make a full recovery from the gunshot wound that fractured her skull, her grandfather says. "We are in awe of her bravery and courage in calling 911, an act that is likely to have saved all of our lives. She is our hero," says her grandfather, the father of Katie Stay, who was shot dead in a Houston suburb on Wednesday along with her husband Stephen and their children Bryan, 13; Emily, 9; Rebecca, 7; and Zach, 4. Ron Haskell was the couple's estranged brother-in law, and the AP reports that he shot the family after they refused to tell him where his ex-wife was. Katie Stay was his ex's sister. More: Documents from yesterday's preliminary court hearing show that Cassidy tried to close the door after telling Haskell her parents were not home; he allegedly kicked it in. Haskell, 33, who has been charged with multiple counts of capital murder, has a long history of violence, KHOU finds. Court records from Utah show there were violent incidents in his 11-year marriage. He was arrested for domestic violence after hitting his wife in front of two of their four children in 2008 and there was a mutual restraining order in place after their divorce went through on February 14 this year. Neighbors said Haskell's marriage was so rocky that Stay went to Utah last fall to help her sister escape the relationship and start a new life in Texas. Stay "was very instrumental in helping her sister get here so she could have a fresh start. Katie's a spitfire," said the Stays' neighbor. Haskell was accused of attacking his mother in California just last week, reports Click2Houston. She told police that after she made contact with his ex-wife, he became furious and forced her into the garage, where he yelled at her, tried to choke her, and left her tied up in a chair for four hours. A temporary restraining order was granted and a court hearing was scheduled for July 25.