Man who killed 4 children, himself wanted to 'get his life on track,' new records show

Gary Lindsey Jr. also shot OPD officer

ORLANDO, Fla. – Gary Lindsey Jr. met with his probation officer just days before he shot an Orlando police officer, launching a standoff with authorities that ended with him fatally shooting himself and four children, two of his own.

He also wrote a monthly report for his probation officer, according to two years of case notes and supervision reports released Thursday  by the Florida Department of Corrections.

In one report, he appeared to be a family man, or at least wanted his probation officer to think he was.

Lindsey spent his free time "working and taking care of my babies," according to the handwritten report written and signed April 4.

[Timeline: OPD standoff led to discovery of 4 children killed in murder-suicide]

He also wrote his goal was to "sleep more."  

"I didn't have a job, so I didn't sleep well," he wrote about the previous month. 

Lindsey was supervised by the Florida Department of Corrections after being convicted of arson in 2009, when he burned his ex-fiance's DeLand house to the ground. He was sentenced to 30 years of probation and ordered to pay $20,000 in restitution to the victim, plus court costs, according to court records.

He sometimes struggled to make the payments and was always looking for higher paying jobs, records show.

In August of 2016, he worked for 7-Eleven. His goal then was to "maintain budget to catch up on past due bills," according to one report.

In September of 2016, he was a painter, but by July, Lindsey wrote that he "needed to catch up on monetary payments" and "find new employment."

By April of 2018, his finances appeared to improve. He made a $1,000 payment and put money away for future payments, according to another report.

Just days before the June 10-11 standoff with Orlando Police, his personal goals were "getting his life back on track and organized," he wrote in the report dated July 7.

Almost 24 hours after police arrived at the apartment Lindsey shared with the children and his girlfriend and exchanged fire with him, Irayan Pluth, 12; Lillia Pluth, 10; Aidan Lindsey, 6; and Dove Lindsey, 1, were found shot to death in their beds, police said.

There is no timeline for when FDOC will release the rest of the reports.


About the Author:

Emmy Award-winning reporter Louis Bolden joined the News 6 team in September of 2001 and hasn't gotten a moment's rest since. Louis has been a General Assignment Reporter for News 6 and Weekend Morning Anchor. He joined the Special Projects/Investigative Unit in 2014.

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