A memorial service will be held Sunday for the Forsyth County mother and her two sons killed by the woman's husband.
Rebecca Jo “Beckie” Manning, 37, Jared Will Smith, 8, and Jacob Jerry Dean Smith, 9, died July 22 after being shot in their Suwanee-area home, according to police.
As the brothers slept in their beds, their stepfather shot and killed them both before shooting their mother, grandfather and then himself inside the family’s home. When deputies arrived, the boys were dead, along with the shooter, Matthew Kyle Fields.
Manning was also shot, but managed to crawl onto the front porch, where she was screaming as deputies arrived. She died after being taken to a hospital. Manning’s father, Jerry, was also shot multiple times and remained hospitalized Tuesday.
A family member speculated that Manning's desire for a divorce may have sparked the shootings.
The memorial service will be held Sunday at 2 p.m. at Bearden Funeral Home Chapel in Dawsonville with Dr. Don Allen officiating. The family will receive friends from noon until the service hour at the funeral home. The bodies will be cremated.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to help offset final expenses. A memorial fund to assist the family with funeral costs and medical bills was set up. Those wishing to donate to the Rebecca Manning and Smith family fund can visit any Wells Fargo branch.
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