National attention focuses on the Duxbury case — a moment advocates say can be difficult for survivors nationwide; Jenna Howe says that’s exactly why she’s speaking publicly about her own loss and the support group she helped create
FRAMINGHAM, Mass. — August 12, 2026 — For survivors of murder-suicide and attempted murder-suicide across the country, moments like this — when similar cases make headlines — can reopen old grief. When Jenna Howe lost her mother and brother to a murder-suicide in 2022, peer support was difficult to find. As a result, she helped launch an in-person Murder-Suicide Loss Support Group this year, believed to be the first program of its kind in the country.
The high-profile murder trial of Lindsay Clancy, the Duxbury mother accused of killing her three children and attempting to kill herself in 2023, has drawn national attention. Call2Talk and its Murder-Suicide Loss Support Group say this is a critical moment to spread the word that this kind of support now exists for those impacted by similar events.
Howe is speaking publicly for the first time about her own experience with murder-suicide loss, not to revisit the details of her case, but to make clear the benefits of talking about complex emotions associated with suicide and murder. Howe says the support group exists for anyone whose grief doesn’t fit a simple narrative.
“I think there are a lot of people who have lost loved ones in a murder-suicide, or friends, or community members, and then never talked about it again,” said Howe. She says murder-suicide loss carries a distinct kind of grief. “There’s a lot of shame we might feel, or stigma.”
Howe found initial healing in an online support group called the Murder-Suicide Loss Network (MSL Network). Eileen Davis, CEO of Mass211, realized the need to bring that connection into a room and approached Howe to partner with Call2Talk, the mental health and suicide-prevention program run by Mass211. Howe now facilitates the group, formed this year, which meets monthly at Call2Talk’s Framingham office.
“As far as we can tell, there are no other in-person groups anywhere for people who’ve lost a loved one to murder-suicide or attempted murder-suicide,” said Barb Brunzell, who leads Call2Talk’s LOSSteam MetroWest crisis-response program. “It’s the number one thing we hear from survivors — that connection that can only be understood by someone who has gone through what you’re going through.”
“This peer-led, in-person support group provides a space for people to express all of their emotions safely, grief, shock, and anger alike, and to connect with others who truly understand what they are going through,” said Eileen Davis, CEO of Mass211. “No one should face this kind of loss alone.”
Howe says the group welcomes all survivors — not just immediate family, but neighbors, extended community members, and first responders.
“If a murder-suicide has touched your life in any way, I hope you’d come,” she said. Attendance requires registration, but no obligation to speak. “No one’s there to tell you how to feel. We’re just there to listen to how you feel, and share how we’re feeling.”
The Murder-Suicide Loss Support Group meets on the last Saturday of every month from 10:30–11:30 a.m. at the Call2Talk office, 46 Park Street, Framingham, MA (4th floor). For more information or to attend, contact Jenna Howe at jennah@mass211.org or visit Mass211.org/msln. Members of the media should direct interview requests to Shaun Chaiyabhat (contact above).
About Call2Talk and the Murder-Suicide Loss Network
Call2Talk is a confidential mental health, emotional support, and suicide-prevention program run by Mass211, operating 24/7 as a 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (mass211.org/Call2Talk). Call2Talk also offers TeleCheck, a phone check-in service for isolated seniors who are experiencing the onset of a sudden life change, LOSSteam MetroWest, partnering with local police departments to offer immediate peer emotional support and resources to suicide loss survivors, and the Move4Ward Network, offering a virtual support group for women who have lost a spouse or life partner to suicide and an in-person group for anyone 18+ impacted by suicide loss. The Murder-Suicide Loss Network (MSL Network) is a nonprofit providing community, advocacy, and understanding for people who have lost someone to a murder-suicide and attempted murder-suicide (MSLNetwork.org).
About Mass211
Mass211 is a public-private partnership between the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the United Ways of Massachusetts and is available 24/7, with translation services in more than 150 languages. By dialing 2-1-1, Information & Referral Specialists connect individuals and families to local resources that promote stability, health, and overall well-being. By dialing 2-1-1 from any phone, residents can receive free, confidential assistance navigating essential resources including housing, emergency shelter, food assistance, utility support, health care, mental health services, elder services, addiction programs, and support for children and families. Information is also available online at www.Mass211.org.
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline), or contact Call2Talk 24/7 at 508-532-2255.
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