Ryan ChartrandWhen San Luis Obispo police responded to the 9-1-1 call made at 6:53 a.m. Oct. 3, they arrived at 1770 Frambuesa Dr. to find that John Michael Rivard had shot himself with his revolver, police said.
In an apparent double murder and suicide, police said that Rivard, a 48-year-old San Luis Obispo psychiatrist, was found with the gun in his hand and a cell phone on his chest with a live connection to the city dispatch center still going.
Rivard’s 7-year-old daughter, Olivia Rivard, was found dead in the same room as her father. Wife and mother Barbara Rivard, 44, was found dead in a separate part of the house.
All three were reportedly found dead from gunshot wounds.
The couple’s two other children, 4-year-old Jack and 5-year-old Madeleine, were found unharmed somewhere in the house. Police have not yet specified what part of the house.
Family members in southern California are now caring for the children, officials say.
Although police have not released the exact sequence of events of the three deaths, they have confirmed that Rivard shot himself with his .357-caliber revolver.
The police had initially reported that the revolver used in the killings was a .38-caliber. On Wednesday, however, police reported that the revolver was in fact a .357-caliber. Still, it was the .38-caliber ammunition that was used in the shootings.
The San Luis Obispo Police Department reported Wednesday that the .357-caliber revolver used in the killings was not registered in California. With assistance from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), investigators learned that the gun had originated from the Colonial Gun Shop in Hillsborough, N.C., where Rivard was residing when he bought the gun in May 1997.
Although police have yet to answer questions about anything unusual about the scene, friends and acquaintances of John Rivard said he was a “nice guy” and kept pretty busy.
“He was trying to turn his life around,” said Dave Culver, head supervisor of Kennedy Club Multiplex. “He had just gotten Lasik eye surgery, he was working out every day, sometimes twice a day.
Culver said the situation seemed odd to him.
“He had all these plans. He had plans to rent out 20,000 square feet of office space,” he said. “Rumor has it he was going to use it to start a new practice.”
Not only was Rivard dedicated to his work and staying fit, but he was also viewed as a parent who loved his kids.
“He seemed like a great dad. He brought his kids in for swim lessons every day during the summer,” Culver said.
However, court records show Barbara and John Rivard had their history of marital problems. John Rivard filed for divorce in December 2003, later withdrew the filing and filed again in August 2004.
He was a psychiatrist at Atascadero State Hospital until he went into his private practice in San Luis Obispo.
Barbara Rivard was an alumna of the 1985 class at Dartmouth College and she did not hold a job outside the house.
Members of Kennedy Club Multiplex who frequently shared workout time with Rivard said his marital problems were no secret but he always remained “upbeat.”
“We all knew him here as ‘Mike,'” one member said. “The other week we were talking about our problems in the locker room as we were getting ready. It didn’t seem like anything out of the ordinary though. The news definitely came as a shock.”
“He had his stressful days but not any more than anyone else,” Culver said. “He seemed like he was always in a good mood, yet he always seemed to be in a hurry.”
A candlelight memorial was held Saturday evening in a San Luis Obispo neighborhood. The Tribune reported that a crowd of about 100 friends, neighbors and others came together to mourn the Rivards.
Members of the First Presbyterian Church of San Luis Obispo, where the family attended services, and some of Rivard’s patients also attended the memorial.
The memorial service for the Rivard family will be held today at 5:30 p.m. -at the First Presbyterian Church.