Murdered Mother Megan Short Sought Help From Police Weeks Before Her Husband Killed Whole Family [Video]

Weeks after the August 6 murder-suicide that claimed the lives of murdered mother, 33-year-old Megan Short, and her entire family, including their dog, tragic and disturbing details in the case continue to emerge.

The Short family, most prominently Megan Short and her 2-year-old daughter Willow, rose to fame before the family's tragic end after being featured in a national publication. The reason for their publicity? Little Willow Short had been a heart-transplant survivor, and her mother publicly blogged about her family's journey and their struggle to get their hands on Willow's anti-rejection medication every month.

The journey of murdered mother Megan Short and her entire family came to an abrupt and tragic end earlier this month, and reportedly at the hands of the person that should have been protecting them from harm. According to police accounts of the tragic Short family murder-suicide, Mark Short, 40, was the trigger man in the tragic incident that took the lives of his wife, daughter Willow, 5-year-old Mark Jr., and 8-year-old Liana. After killing his entire family, Mark turned the gun on himself.

As more details emerge in the case of the murdered family, it is beginning to appear that murdered mother Megan Short feared for her safety and tried to seek out help for herself and her children prior to their murders. As the Huffington Post reports, multiple domestic incidents involving police took place before the Short family murder-suicide. Reportedly, murdered mother Megan Short even told law enforcement that she was afraid of her husband.

According to all accounts, Megan Short was in the process of separating from her husband. She was still living in the home at the time of the murder-suicide, but had been making plans to relocate. Reportedly, murdered mom Megan Short was supposed to have moved out of the family's home on August 6, the very day she and her children were shot in cold blood.

Weeks earlier, at the beginning of June, Megan Short and her husband reportedly had a heated fight in a Philadelphia hotel. The incident got so bad that hotel management felt the need to send security to the couple's room.

Later, on June 18, the murdered mother Megan Short and her husband got into another domestic dispute, this time at their home in Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania. In that instance, local police were called to the Short home to intervene, and it was then that Megan Short reportedly told law enforcement that she was living in fear of her husband, Mark.

According to reports from the Sinking Spring Police Department, murdered mom Megan Short was advised at that point on how to obtain an order of protection against her husband. From all accounts, Megan never followed through. However, in many instances, victims of domestic violence shy away from getting help through a "justice system" that often fails them due to fears of being retaliated against by their abuser.

After that altercation, though, Mark Short took some drastic action. The very next day (and despite repeated reported domestic instances), the husband of murdered mother Megan Short reportedly purchased the.38 caliber revolver that would end the lives of himself and every member of his family. According to all accounts, Mark Short's gun purchase was an entirely legal one, carried out through a licensed gun dealer in Lancaster County.

Apparently, rather than taking the advice of law enforcement and beginning the process of obtaining a protective order against her husband, murdered mother Megan Short began a different process. The process of leaving her husband. Reportedly, she signed a lease at a nearby apartment and began to move her things into it.

As Heavy reports, Megan may have been involved in a new relationship at the time of the planned separation. Rumors have swirled that she was dating another woman, a woman she'd met at a support group for parents of transplant survivors. All accounts indicate that Mark Short was absolutely infuriated by his wife's new relationship.

The final batch of murdered mother Megan Short's belongings were slated to be moved from the family home on August 6. Members of her family, including her mother, were supposed to meet Megan at her new home to help her finish up her move. Reportedly, after she didn't show up, her mother called the police to conduct a welfare check on murdered mother Megan short and her family.

Officers that responded to the Short family home broke into the residence when no one answered the door. It was then that the slain family was found.

"This was a very, very unfortunate incident. I don't know that anything can be learned, other than when leaving an abusive relationship it's often the most dangerous time for a victim."

Law enforcement believe that Mark Short, who had taken his three little children to an amusement park just the day before, shot his entire family and the family dog with his new, 5-shot revolver. He then wrote a suicide note, which gave investigators invaluable insight into the Short family tragedy, reloaded the.38 and took his own life.

Reportedly, the three young children were found wearing their pajamas.

Unfortunately, instances like the Short family murder-suicide are much more commonplace than people believe, and in domestic violence situations, adding a gun can often lead to a deadly outcome. Statistically, when abusers have easy access to a firearm, they are up to five times more likely to murder their victims.

Experts encourage victims of domestic violence who plan to leave their abuser to do so with caution and whatever assistance they can muster. This can be accomplished by developing a "safety plan" and by utilizing the resources of local domestic violence non-profits. However, leaving an abuser is never foolproof or without its risks, as evidenced by the tragic case of murdered mother Megan Short and her children.

[Image via Megan Swindle Short/Facebook]