It started with Bernard Leven who married a Helen Kahn. Bernard who was born in 1913 in Pittsburg. In his younger years he was a bright student who won a "Speaking Test" and was the "Student Speaker" when he graduated from High School of Commerce, San Francisco in 1931. Sometime before 1936 he met and married a Helen Barbara Kahn. They had their first child, Philip Alan in 1942, and the 3 years later their Second child Laurie Ann was born. The parents were very wealthy as the father had owned a car dealership and lived in San Francisco, and lived at 2231 North Point St, SF whilst their car dealership was at 2900 Geary Blvd.
Unfortunately in 1948 Bernard struck a 3 year old boy with his vehicle whilst the boy was ran out between two cars on Boyce St, SF. Luckily the boy survived but was treated for a fractured leg and possible skull fracture. The Mother was a Nurse who in 1951 became a member of the Red Cross.
Sadly on the 30th April 1954 everything changed for the Levin children. Laurie was 9 when she found both of her parents dead, her father had stabbed her mother with a 6" Paring knife over 30 times and cut her throat, once she was dead he then turned the knife on himself and stabbed himself 20 times in and around the heart with the knife. The young Laurie found her mother Helen lying on her back in a rear bedroom of their 8 room flat wearing her black night clothes. He father, wearing just a bathrobe wear lying face down his arm across his dead wife.
Bernard who had sold his car DeSoto-Plymouth dealership the month before due to being diagnosed with a serious heart condition. Friends stated that he had been depressed and despondent in the months before the tragedy.
Young Laurie had returned to their home at noon on the day of the incident when her mother had failed to bring her lunch to her at the nearby Winfield school. Upon finding her parents, Laurie, left the apartment sobbing to find help from a neighbour. “Please Help me, Something has happened to my mommy and dad” she relayed to Leo Brunner, a retired police officer.
Unfortunately this left the young girl and her younger brother orphaned. In 1955 they learnt that they had been left their parents estate, value at £628,670, to be held in a trust fund. The unfortunately children had been living in Sacramento with their maternal grandmother, Mrs Sadie Kahn and their mothers sister, Mrs Esther Shuper. Esther Shuper was also named trustee of the estate. Their estate included a three story building at 228-234 Post st and the Bernie Leven company, a Van Ness auto dealership. Of which they were to be given when they reached 23, or in the case of Laurie when she married if that happen first.
Luckily the aunt stepped in to look after the children. Adolph was a Architect whilst Esther worked at the “Candle & Card shop”, They lived at 1912 8th Ave Sacramento.
Laurie attended McClatchy High School in Sacramento, then the University of Arizona. In 1965 Laurie married a man from Vallejo, Richard Earl Holmes, who had also lost his father at a young age, 1, when he was killed in an explosion at Mare Island. Richard was from 1516 Redwood St, Vallejo. Whilst being a student at the time he had previously been working at Woolworths.
Her older brother Philip, initially lived with the Shupers until 1962 when he enrolled in the University of Berkeley.
Things seemed to going well for the now adult’s, her aunt had set up a Suicide support group and things had settled down.
Then in September 1966 tragedy struck again. On the Evening of September 1st Adolph and Esther walked down the street greeting neighbours who referred to them as the “Quietest, best-liked person on the block. Things were very different when the morning of the 2nd came. Their son, Kenny, ran to a neighbours house at 6am screaming. He asked if he could use their phone as his father “is crazy, he is cutting my mother with a knife”. Police quickly arrived and found the youngest brother, Jerry screaming and Adolph locked in the bathroom. Police subsequently broke down the bathroom door and Adolph charged them brandishing two butchers knifes, the police shot him dead in the incident. His wife had had he throat cut with a barbecue fork and their 3rd son, Gerald was treated for knife cuts on his back.
Unfortunately Esther died 3 day’s latter from her wounds. Thus leaving the Levin’s again orphaned.
