Tragic Murder-Suicide in New Jersey: Father Charged with Killing Children

Strategic Insights -

A shocking and heartbreaking crime occurred in Bergen County, New Jersey, when a 50-year-old divorced father, Avi Kostner, allegedly murdered his two children, Geri Beth, 12, and Ryan, 10, on Sunday. The bodies of the children were found hidden under a sleeping bag in the rear seat of Kostner's Isuzu Trooper, which was parked outside the police headquarters in Teaneck. Kostner, who was under psychiatric care for depression and had been feigning unconsciousness, was arrested after a friend found him slumped over the steering wheel of the vehicle.

Key Takeaways:

  • The children were suffocated several hours apart on Sunday, with Geri Beth killed around 4 A.M. and Ryan around 1 P.M.
  • The murders occurred during a regular weekend visitation, but the exact location remains uncertain.
  • The children and their mother, Lynn Mison, were scheduled to leave their home in Wayne, N.J. for a new one in Florida on Friday, which may have contributed to Kostner's apparent distress.
  • Merchants near Kostner's apartment reported that he often complained bitterly about the Florida move and what he considered unfair treatment by judges in the divorce and custody proceedings over the last six years.
  • Kostner was under a 1990 court order that allowed him custodial visits with the children every other weekend, and he was scheduled to have custody of them for four weeks this summer.
  • Kostner left telephone messages on friends' answering machines stating that he had killed the children and was going to commit suicide.

Statistics:

  • The ages of the victims: Geri Beth, 12, and Ryan, 10.
  • The time of Geri Beth's death: approximately 4 A.M. Sunday.
  • The time of Ryan's death: approximately 1 P.M. Sunday.
  • The number of years Kostner had been under psychiatric care for depression: 1 (the article does not specify the exact length of time, but mentions that Kostner was under psychiatric care "for depression").
  • The number of weekend visitations Kostner was allowed per year: every other weekend.
  • The number of weeks Kostner was scheduled to have custody of the children this summer: four.

Sources:

  • "A 50-year-old divorced father, apparently distraught that his former wife and two children were moving to Florida, murdered the children Sunday and then drove with the bodies to the police headquarters here and parked... " (Original source not specified).
  • John J. Fahy, Bergen County Prosecutor (cited in the article as the source of information on the investigation).
  • Jayne Ross, cosmetics manager at Teaneck Drugs (cited as a witness who knew Kostner).
  • Sam Ahmed, assistant manager of a bagel shop (cited as a witness who knew Kostner).
  • Aaron Weinberg, neighbor of Kostner (cited as a witness who knew Kostner).
  • Associated Press (cited as the source of a photograph of Geri Beth Kostner).
  • Map of New Jersey showing location of Teaneck (cited as a visual aid to locate the crime scene).