Scott Sabia murdered his wife, Michele, before taking his own life, authorities said. Watch video
CARLSTADT - For many years, Scott Sabia battled a depression so severe that the disease left him unable to work and often heavily medicated, according to a family member.
"Depression is a bad thing. It comes and goes," said his cousin, Geri Sabia, 72, who lives down the street. "This time it stayed."
Scott Sabia, 45, picked up a gun shortly after 6 Wednesday evening and shot his wife, Michele, 44, to death on the front lawn of their home. Scott went back inside and shot himself dead as police surrounded the house, authorities said.
The couple had been married about 16 years and had three children, ages 14, 11 and 9. The children escaped the home unharmed and were being cared for Thursday at an undisclosed location.
"He had problems," Geri Sabia said Thursday morning. "He had depression. He was working through it and I guess something just snapped."
Michele Sabia was a first-grade teacher in the Rutherford public school system. She worked and supported the family.
"She was quiet," Geri Sabia said. "She was a good mother. She took care of her kids, took care of her family."
Geri Sabia said the couple split for a time but reconciled recently.
She said both Scott and Michele owned rifles that they used to hunt turkeys and pheasants. Investigators have not disclosed the type of weapon used.
Police were called to the home at least once in the recent past, Geri said, but she did not know why.
"Nobody knows what goes on behind closed doors," she said.
The couple filed for bankruptcy in 2013 and surrendered a home they owned in Bloomfield, according to court documents.
The couple had college savings accounts for their three children. But they fell behind on mortgage and credit card payments, according to those documents.
Scott, who was unemployed, listed his monthly income as $800 from rental property and $1,174 in disability.
Scott Sabia is the brother of Carlstadt Assistant Fire Chief Thomas Sabia. Reached by phone Thursday morning, Thomas Sabia said he was too upset to discuss the deaths.
"I'm just trying to wake up from the nightmare," he said.
Geri Sabia said other family members were overwhelmed by the deaths and the events that surrounded them - the glare of media lights, strangers snapping pictures and reporters interviewing neighbors.
"You understand death in your family," Geri said. "But you don't understand this."
Staff reporter Myles Ma contributed to this report
Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.