Newly obtained death certificates in the Michigan family tragedy indicate that Mandy Karolkiewicz may have died before the six children she is believed to have been killed alongside.
Authorities believe 47-year-old Kristopher Karolkiewicz shot his wife Mandy, 39, and their children, then set the family home on fire before dying by suicide. The incident occurred at their Grand Haven Township home on July 24, 2026.
The family’s pets also died in the blaze.
According to records obtained by News 8, Mandy’s death certificate lists her date of death as:
‘on or after’
The certificates for Kristopher and the children list July 24 as their date of death. The children have been identified as Keegan, 15, Bennett, 12, Smith, 11, Ella, 11, Caroline, 11, and Theodore, 5. Four of the children were biological, and two were adopted.
The exact times of death are recorded as:
‘unknown’
The manner of death for Mandy and the children is listed as:
‘homicide’
Kristopher’s death, meanwhile, is recorded as a suicide. The death certificates indicate that all eight family members died from gunshot wounds, either immediately or within seconds of being shot.
Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Jacob Sparks said Mandy:
“likely died earlier than her children”
In an email to News 8, he added:
“We don’t have an exact timeline yet and are still working to establish that.”
Investigators believe the fire was intentionally set in multiple locations throughout the home, including the first floor and basement where most of the damage was found. The fire was started after the killings. Michigan State Police arson investigators are continuing to work on determining the cause and exact origin of the fire.
First responders were initially called to the Riverside Trail address on Friday morning around 8:30 a.m. after residents reported smelling smoke in the area. When firefighters and deputies were called back to the home at 11:42 a.m. after seeing white smoke coming from the residence, they discovered the eight bodies inside.
Mandy Karolkiewicz was a substitute teacher at Peach Plains Elementary in the Grand Haven Area Public Schools district. She was also a children’s book author who published “The Magical Mantra: A Tiny Book About Self Talk” under the pen name Mandy Karol. Her final TikTok post on July 17 showed the family returning from a recent trip to China where she had taken her two adopted daughters to teach them about their birth country and culture.
Reports have also pointed to strain in the couple’s marriage before the deaths. Detroit News said Mandy had written about those issues on Reddit using an account independently verified as belonging to her.
One post from a 2024 thread allegedly stated:
“He was divorced and older than me … fast forward ten years and five kids, he was cheating with the intern again — the same age I was when I was the intern.”
The same account also suggested she had stayed and worked on the marriage for the sake of the children.
Another post read:
“They have no idea — I faked it ’till we made it. We’re in a much better place 4.5 years out, but it’s still a fight to stay in a healthy place,”
Even so, family spokesperson Emily Jones cautioned that the posts have not been definitively confirmed by the family as Mandy’s.
She told News 8:
“we have no way to confirm that that was Mandy that made the posts”
Jones continued:
“It’s very clear that whoever wrote that, they were using Reddit as an outlet to seek support in a bit of anonymity, because for whatever reason, they felt they couldn’t seek it in their real lives.
“I think that that’s sad in and of itself, whether it was Mandy or somebody else. It’s sad if somebody feels like they can’t speak their fears out loud outside of something like Reddit.”
Kristopher Karolkiewicz worked for the American Heart Association from September 2023 until his employment ended in July 2026, just weeks before the tragedy. The organization said he served as national vice president of sales and marketing, supporting the division responsible for CPR and first aid training and products, and worked remotely from his home. The American Heart Association did not provide details about why his employment ended, stating it does not comment on personnel matters.
The home did not have a history of police calls, and investigators have found no signs of struggle at the scene so far. A registered handgun was used in the incident, and evidence indicates no one else had fired the weapon except Kristopher.
Mandy’s parents, Steve and Becky Lawwill, released a statement saying: “Our daughter Mandy was a kind and devoted soul who loved her family and her students. We treasured every moment we had with her and her six children, and words cannot adequately express our devastation. We pray for God’s peace and comfort as we grieve their deaths and honor their lives.”
Mandy’s family has launched a GoFundMe page to help with expenses and to establish a scholarship in the Karolkiewicz children’s memory. A vigil was held on July 26 at Duncan Woods in Grand Haven to grieve and honor the family members. The Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office is asking the community to provide only factual information related to the case investigation and to avoid sharing opinions or speculation.
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact GrieveWell on (734) 975-0238, or email [email protected].