The father who is the prime suspect in the murders of his three young children told a justice of the peace days before the killings that he was having difficulty with the separation of his family.
Allan Schoenborn, who hasn't been seen since the discovery of his children's bodies in their trailer home Sunday, was arrested last Thursday after an incident at his children's school.
"I just have a hard time, you know, dealing with my separation of my family,'' Schoenborn said at a bail hearing later that day, according to a transcript released Thursday.
"It's really hard to be without the ones you love.''
A police officer alleged during the hearing that Schoenborn went to the school and confronted a student he believed was harassing his daughter and then confronted the school principal.
Schoenborn is now the subject of a police manhunt and remains the main suspect in the deaths of Kaitlynne, 10, Max, eight, and Cordon, five.
Days before the killings, Schoenborn told the justice of the peace at the bail hearing that he was "working hard'' on the problems in his family and that he only went to the school to defend his daughter.
While Schoenborn insisted he didn't threaten anyone, he acknowledged he acted inappropriately.
"I reacted badly, I guess. But my daughter, all I saw was her tears,'' said Schoenborn, who said he'd been living with Clarke and the children in Merritt for about three days.
"I didn't threaten. I did react badly, poorly.''
Schoenborn even asked to apologize to the student and the principal, but was ordered not to contact them.
The killings have left residents of Merritt, a community of 7,000 about 270 kilometres northeast of Vancouver, with many questions they'd hoped to have answered at a community meeting Thursday.
However, hundreds of anxious residents who crowded into the local civic centre were told they would not be allowed to ask questions of police or town officials.
Police did not warn the public until the next day that Schoenborn was on the run.
"We don't know if he's around our back door,'' said Brenda Gustafson, who brought her 22-month-old daughter to the meeting.
"We're scared to go out. We're scared to go downtown. We're scared to go anywhere.''
Gwen Pruden said there are many questions about the way police and justice officials handled the case, before and after the children were killed.
"It's the justice system that I'm very much concerned with,'' she said.
She said there were several red flags.
Schoenborn had three run-ins with RCMP in the week prior to the murders _ the last one at the school.
The officer at the bail hearing opposed his release because Schoenborn posed a flight risk. He pointed to a previous charge of failing to appear, the fact that Schoenborn had only recently arrived in Merritt, and alleging that Schoenborn tried to escape following his arrest.
But the officer didn't raise any concerns that Schoenborn posed a danger to anyone.
Rather, the transcript confirms that when the justice of the peace asked whether there was any friction between Schoenborn and Clarke, he was told no.
It's not clear from the transcript how much information the justice of the peace was given about a previous peace bond. Schoenborn pleaded guilty in February to violating that peace bond.
Schoenborn was ordered not to have any contact with Clarke within 12 hours of consuming alcohol. He was also to leave if requested to do so by Clarke or the police.
The officer briefly mentioned a bond but according to the transcript, didn't offer specifics. Documents presented to the justice of the peace outlining Schoenborn's criminal record weren't included with the transcript.
The RCMP have said they weren't aware of any restrictions.
Staff Sgt. Scott Tod, head of the Merritt detachment, confirmed that police had had contact with the family.
"There wasn't any indication at any point in time that he was a threat to his children or their mother,'' Tod told residents at the meeting.
"The Merritt RCMP did not receive any complaint that she feared for her safety or that of her children.''
RCMP Assistant Commissioner Al McIntyre said police began the search for Schoenborn on Sunday, even if the public wasn't warned until the next day.
He said the time to examine whether police acted appropriately is later.
"Our focus right now is finding him,'' McIntyre told reporters.
He said police still believe Schoenborn could be camping out in the bush with his dog. Schoenborn did not have access to a vehicle and none have been reported stolen in the area.
"From what I understand, I think it is a fairly strong expectation that he did go to the bush but, then again, we don't where he is and we haven't found him in the bush yet, notwithstanding our efforts,'' McIntyre said.
A counsellor told residents that the entire community is struggling with what happened.
"We'd love to give you answers but there are none,'' Dave McCauley said at the town meeting.
He appealed to residents to encourage RCMP who "are undergoing a tremendous amount of stress. They were the first on the scene.''
A trust fund has been set up for Clarke at the Interior Savings and Credit Union.
One of Schoenborn's cousins in Winnipeg is urging people to contribute to the fund.
Val Truthwaite said she's been trying to get in touch with Clarke.
"We are so, so sorry for this tragedy,'' Truthwaite said.
"We want them (Clarke's family) to know that our thoughts are with you constantly, and we're praying for you.''
Truthwaite said she and her family, who haven't seen Schoenborn since he was a child, want him to turn himself in.
"Please don't run anymore, turn yourself in,'' she said. "I'm afraid no matter what, it's not going to turn out good.''
Mayor David Laird lashed out at the media Thursday for coverage of the tragedy, demanding they leave the town.
"This is no longer a national event,'' he said.
"The only thing that might bring people back into this community is when they catch the individual they're looking for and that'll be an RCMP release.
"I'm asking the media to please go home and leave our community alone.''
