The nephew of Montana Sen. Jon Tester was brutally killed with his 8-year-old daughter in the next room, according to local reports.
Robert Tester was found dead in his Washington state home Tuesday morning, his body “in a large pool of blood” on the living room floor, according to authorities. His daughter had alerted law enforcement, saying a man entered their home while she was in bed with her father and said he was going to kill her dad.
Police found an ax-like maul on the floor near Tester’s body and blood on the walls and floor throughout the house, according to court documents. Bags of marijuana also were discovered near the body and the home smelled of pot, according to reports. Robert Tester grew and sold marijuana to medical dispensaries, according to his daughter’s grandmother.
Sen. Tester’s office confirmed the relationship to the Spokesman-Review, saying the senator and his family “would prefer privacy during this difficult time.”
In his final post on social media, on Aug. 25, Robert Tester wrote, “There’s gonna be some hard days ahead of us.”
“I want you all to know that I was victimized by someone close to me,” he continued. “Someone I treated like a brother and trusted. I love you all and hope you can understand my never-ending pain. He took my best friend from me and turned her life into darkness, thru drugs and manipulation.”
