8 slain in Ga. mobile home had roof over their heads thanks to dad, uncle’s ‘big heart’

Slain Ga. man always opened his home to family

BRUNSWICK, Ga. — If you were family, Rusty Toler Sr. would find a spot for you in his single-wide trailer.

When his brother, a nephew, his daughter and her boyfriend lost their jobs, they still had a roof over their heads at his southeastern Georgia home. It was in that crowded 980-square-foot mobile home where Toler, his four children, two siblings and the boyfriend were found slain Saturday, just a week or so before the park manager says they planned to move out.

Police have no suspects and have not said how the family died.

“He had a big heart,” said Gail Montgomery, who manages the New Hope Plantation mobile home park where Toler and nine others lived in the home. “And you just don’t tell your family no.”

Police released the names and ages of the dead Tuesday, three days after the carnage was reported in a frantic 911 call by a relative who said he had returned from a night out to find his whole family dead.

The victims included the 44-year-old Toler and his four children: Chrissy Toler, 22; Russell D. Toler Jr., 20; Michael Toler, 19; and Michelle Toler, 15.

Also killed were two of Toler’s siblings — Guy Heinze Sr., 45, and Brenda Gail Falagan, 49, as well as 30-year-old Joseph L. West, Chrissy Toler’s boyfriend. A ninth victim, whom police did not identify, remained in critical condition Tuesday. Montgomery said his daughter’s young child also lived with them and was the lone survivor.

“It’s just a shock,” said Montgomery. “They were just what I’d call good country folks. I don’t think any of them would hurt a fly.”

Toler Sr. had worked for 20 years at a plant that dries chemicals and food products located behind the mobile home park, but was laid off several months ago, said Kathy Clock, administrative assistant to the owner of the plant and New Hope Plantation.

Montgomery said Toler Sr. also did odd jobs for her, including groundskeeping and hauling trailers.

But he had too many people living in the home. Toler Sr. received notice of eviction proceedings Aug. 13 and was to have been in court with the landlord Monday, two days after he was killed. Montgomery said they had come to an agreement — the family had found a new place and promised to move out by Sept. 8.

“Rusty took care of family,” Clock said. “If you needed a place to sleep, there was a place to sleep.”

Police have released little information about the case that has rocked this port city between Savannah and Jacksonville, Fla., saying they don’t want to jeopardize their investigation.

It was Heinze’s son, Guy Heinze Jr., 22, who told police he found the bodies after returning home Saturday morning.

A recording of a 12-minute 911 call has provided some of the only details about the crime.

Heinze Jr. could be heard on the call screaming, “My whole family’s dead!” and struggled to describe what he saw, at one point returning to the mobile home to find his cousin Michael, whom he said had Down syndrome, barely breathing.

“Michael’s alive, tell them to hurry!” Heinze Jr. yelled in the background as a maintenance man at the mobile home park spoke with a dispatcher. “He’s beat up! His face is smashed in!”

Michael Toler died Sunday at a hospital in Savannah.

Several hours after Heinze Jr. said he found the bodies, police arrested him on charges of drug possession, tampering with evidence and lying to a police officer. Glynn County Police Chief Matt Doering said he isn’t calling Heinze Jr. a suspect in the killings but isn’t ruling him out. Heinze’s attorney said he is distraught over the slayings and was not involved.

“My client believes the killer is still on the loose,” said the lawyer, Ron Harrison, who said Heinze Jr. is cooperating with police.

Heinze Jr. is scheduled for court on Wednesday.

A graveside service was tentatively set for the Tolers, Heinze and Falagan on Saturday, according to the Howard-Jones-Nobles Funeral Home. Details of West’s funeral were not immediately available.

“They were very good people,” said Laura Davis, an aunt to Toler’s children. “They struggled but they had what they needed. They had a roof over their heads and clothes on their backs.”

Associated Press writer Greg Bluestein in Atlanta contributed to this report.