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Funeral Set For Electrocuted Family

Couple, Son Killed While Erecting Antenna In Palm Bay

POSTED: Wednesday, October 14, 2009
UPDATED: 9:39 pm EDT October 14, 2009

A tragedy-stricken matriarch struggled Wednesday to plan the funerals of three family members electrocuted in a deadly backyard accident earlier this week.

VIDEO: 3 Family Members Electrocuted
911 CALLS: I | II | III
IMAGES: Victims, Memorial

"She is immersed in grief and yet pushing on," Pastor Mark Van Bever said of Babara Tenn, whose son, his wife and their 15-year-old son were killed late Monday while attempting to install a ham radio antenna at night. "This is a grief that will not go away for a long time."

The bodies of Melville Braham, 55, his wife, Anna, 49, and Anthony, 15, were released to funeral directors on Wednesday, Local 6 News partner Florida Today reported.

Funeral services are tentatively scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday at Lockmar Baptist Church in Palm Bay, where Tenn is a member. Other arrangements, including visitations, are pending.

Autopsies for the three family members were completed on Tuesday at the medical examiner's office in Rockledge.

"The fire marshal has noted it as an accidental electrocution," said Yvonne Martinez, spokeswoman for the Palm Bay Police Department. Investigators are still trying to determine why the family -– along with an uninjured 17-year-old male who was on the roof helping the Brahams -– was working on the project at night.

The Brahams died after a 13,000 volt surge of electricity rippled through the metal antenna as it fell across power lines behind Tenn's Alaska Avenue home. Tenn, a former real estate agent in her mid-70s, recently used her ham radio to talk with family members in Jamaica.

Van Bever went to Tenn's home the night of the tragedy.

"I don't think I've ever experienced the collective grief that I saw that night. I can't imagine what it's like to have three simultaneous deaths like that," Van Bever said. The Brahams' 21-year-old daughter frantically called 911 to report the accident.

Family members have not made any public statements. Several relatives from Jamaica are expected to attend the funeral service, along with neighbors and friends. Melville Braham was a truck driver. His son was a student at Southwest Middle School.

The deaths resulted in an outpouring of grief from friends and neighbors who described the Brahams as a good family. At Southwest Middle School, students scribbled handwritten notes and drew pictures at a makeshift memorial for their former classmate.

"Anthony, you'll be missed," read one green sign tacked to the memorial wall. "Your smiles, giggles, humor ... you'll always be loved."

Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.

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