Tribute to 'best father' Ryan Long who was shot and killed by influencer wife Emily Long along with their two children
A man who was battling brain cancer who was shot and killed by his influencer wife has been described as the ‘best father’ by his friend.
Ryan Long, aged 48, was shot and killed earlier this month by his wife, 34-year-old social media influencer Emily Long.
She also killed the couple’s two eldest children, Parker, 8, and Ryan, 6, before she took her own life, according to the New Hampshire attorney general's office. Investigators cited autopsies conducted by state medical examiners following the murder-suicide. The couple's youngest child, 3, was found alive and unharmed. The child is now said to be in the care of his grandparents and auntie.
Ryan’s long-term best friend Jeff Boyce has spoken out of his grief following his death. The pair met in school and had been friends for more than 30 years. "We became thick as thieves right off the jump. He was like my brother. That was my guy. It's been tough,” Jeff told local publication Foster's Daily Democrat. He added that their close relationship was “like having a twin brother that isn't related”. He added: “He was one of one. . . There's no other Ryan Long,"
Jeff went on to recall that he last saw Ryan, and his two late children Parker and Ryan, about a month and a half ago. He said he and Ryan were speaking on a video call when the children appeared and wanted to get involved. "They wanted to crawl in dad's lap while he's having a FaceTime with Jeff to say hi, and tell me, 'I lost a tooth today. Ryan's kids would want to talk to Boyce's kids, too, so he'd pass the phone around,” he said.
Jeff said Ryan was "100%" family to him. "That was my brother,” he said. adding that he was also “uncle Jeff” to his children. He added that he tried to call Ryan this week, and it rang twice - but then he remembered he wouldn’t answer. "I hung up and I was like, 'I can't call him, he's dead."
The grieving friend went on to say that the most difficult part of what happened the deaths of the two children. "It's heartbreaking. That's all I think about is those kids. I was at peace with Ryan passing, because it was eventual. He had terminal brain cancer. But the kids . . . no way on that. That's what breaks my heart the most,” he said.
"We all knew it. He knew it. (Ryan) was just hoping for a year, hoping to see these kids off to school. Literally hoping to make it through a school year with them. It's punishing what happened to those children. Absolutely heartbreaking and downright disgusting."
When asked what Ryan was like as a dad, Jeff said he was the "best." He added that his children were "obsessed" with him. "He did everything on this planet to have this family, and got it," said Boyce. "All he had was love for those kids. All he wanted in life was to have a wife and kids. That's all he wanted.”
A GoFundMe page has been set up for the surviving Long child, who has not been identified but is three years old. It says it's co-organised by Friends of the Longs and Family Fund. The page reads: "We are raising money to support the youngest child of the Long family, who has lost his parents and two siblings in recent tragic events," the page reads in part. "We hope to raise enough funds to support his education, extracurricular endeavors, mental health, and any additional needs as he grows into the young man his parents and siblings would be proud of."
At the time of writing, on the morning of Friday August 29, more than $136,000 has been raised towards the $140,000 goal.
The bodies of Emily Long, her husband Ryan Long, and their children Parker and Ryan, were found by police in their New Hampshire home on Monday August 18. A post-mortem carried out later that week determined that Emily Long, who documented her struggles with depression on social media after her husband was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer, died by suicide from a single shot to the head caused by a handgun.
Parker and Ryan also died from a single gunshot wound, while Ryan died from multiple gunshot wounds. Their deaths have been ruled homicides.
Emily Long, who described herself as a “Brain Cancer Wife” on TikTok, had previously posted videos where she expressed fears about bringing up her children as a single parent. She added that she felt she was “withering away”. Her has been made private since the fatal incident, but her videos had already been widely shared by others online.
In what appeared to be the final video she posted on TikTok before her death, she said she wanted to “hide under the blanket with my kids” but realised that it “isn’t healthy for them and it’s not healthy for me”. She continued: “Today I decided I need to make a conscious effort to shift my mindset. I’m getting out of this depression whether I want to or not... I am determined to create normalcy.”
In another video, she said: “I swear, this cancer will be the thing that breaks me.” She also described feeling “very, very lonely” and “anxious”, and said found it “overwhelming” to be mourning her husband while he was still alive. She also admitted she needed to she a therapist, but said she “wasn’t ready”. “I know that I need to ask for help,” she said. “I feel so guilty that I’m not ready to get help yet, but... it is what it is, right? I know that I will one day, and I hope that I make the decision before I feel that it’s too late.”
- If you need help with your mental health, you can contact The Samaritans on 116 123 for free, confidential support People with hearing problems or other communication difficulties can text 07889 036 280.