BY TAMMY STABLES BATTAGLIA AND ELISHA ANDERSON
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITERS
Rosemary Rangi told people the brick colonial nestled in the woods of Orion Township was her dream home.
But the head of the Orion Area Chamber of Commerce found herself lying burned, stabbed and bleeding in the grass outside Sunday as flames rose from the house.
Investigators found her husband, Daljit Rangi, 65, dead in the garage from smoke inhalation and burns. His death was ruled a suicide Monday by the Oakland County Medical Examiner's Office.
It is the second case in less than a week involving murder-suicide among spouses in Oakland County.
Officials don't know how many instances occur in the state each year. The number of murder-suicides among couples is categorized with family violence incidents by the Michigan State Police.
Karen Porter, director of quality assurance for the Michigan Department of Human Service's Michigan Domestic Violence Prevention and Treatment Board, said that should change.
"It helps people understand the depth of the issue and the seriousness of the issue -- that it's more prevalent that people understand or think," Porter said Monday.
Incident eerily like another in Oakland Co. last week
Orion Area Chamber of Commerce director Rangi looked to colleagues and neighbors to be a pillar of society.
The operations director for Crittenton Hospital's medical supply offices in Rochester and Lake Orion became the figurehead for Orion and Oxford businesses in January.
The 56-year-old mother of three talked about becoming a grandmother for the first time, with news that her daughter who lives in Boston is expecting.
And she proudly doted over her daughter who lives at home, a third-year law school student about to start classes this week.
She never talked about problems in what she called her "dream house," say those who know her.
"She didn't talk about anything with that," chamber executive director Alaina Campbell said Monday. "I know this was her dream house -- she saw it and fell in love with it. That's all going to be so difficult, not only her husband, but losing her home as well."
On Sunday, a neighbor followed the plumes of black smoke from the home burning off Greenshield Road just west of Lapeer in Orion Township and found Rosemary Rangi lying bloody and burned in the grass. Rangi told Oakland County Sheriff's Office deputies her husband, retired engineer Daljit Rangi, 65, had stabbed her multiple times in the abdomen. She's expected to recover.
Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said Monday that the pair had been talking about divorce.
Investigators found the charred body of Daljit Rangi in the garage. His death from burns and smoke inhalation was ruled a suicide Monday by the Oakland County Medical Examiner's Office.
It's the second time in a week domestic violence has brought death to Oakland County. On Wednesday, Ellery Bennett, 47, suffered self-inflicted stab wounds and drove himself to Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, where he told hospital officials that another victim was at his home.
Investigators found his wife, Lisa Bennett, 46, who had filed for divorce Aug. 11, dead from multiple stab wounds and Ellery Bennett's suicide notes in the house. He is in police custody, charged with her death.
State officials estimate that there are about 100 murder-suicides between lovers in Michigan each year. But they say they believe the numbers could be much higher. Those deaths are counted under "family violence" in the Michigan Incident Crime Report published annually by the Michigan State Police. They include the death of anyone with a family relationship, said Karen Porter, director of quality assurance for the Michigan Department of Human Service's Michigan Domestic Violence Prevention and Treatment Board.
Further analysis of those types of cases could help prevent others, she added.
"It's so complicated that it is very difficult to discern what would make something like this happen so close together," she said. "What we know is that there are many causes to domestic violence and it's a social issue that affects many families."
Now the Orion Chamber is collecting donations to help Rosemary Rangi with immediate expenses, through a fund set up at Genisys Credit Union at Silverbell and Lapeer in Orion Township.
"She wanted to give back; she wanted to get to know people in the community," the chamber's executive director said. "We were very shocked at what happened -- had no idea that there was anything amiss. So our hearts and prayers go out to her and her family."
Contact TAMMY STABLES BATTAGLIA: 313-223-4456 or tbattaglia@freepress.com. Staff writer Gina Damron contributed to this report.
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