'She was petrified of him,' says mother of woman killed in north Raleigh murder-suicide
The mother of the north Raleigh woman who was killed on the July 4th holiday during an apparent murder-suicide said Thursday that her daughter was trapped in an unhappy marriage but did not know how to get out of it.
Ashley Lauren Talarico, 30, was fatally shot before her husband, Nicholas Robert Talarico, 34, turned the gun on himself, according to Raleigh police. The couple's two children were apparently not at home when the incident occurred.
Police were called to the home shortly before 4:30 p.m. Wednesday by a woman who was very emotional while trying to get help from 911 dispatchers.
In a room upstairs, the unidentified caller told dispatchers that she found the body of Nicholas Talarico.
Alba Cimino, the mother of Ashley Talarico, spoke to WRAL News Thursday about the couple's relationship, which apparently was troubled.
"She was petrified of him, and she didn't ask for help," Cimino said. "She was scared. She was scared to ask for help."
Cimino said she is only now finding out about the harsher side of her daughter's marriage – a revelation that didn't come in time to save her daughter.
Cimino said her daughter apparently confided in friends about her plans to leave her husband, but family members were kept at a distance.
"He has always been very controlling," Cimino said, "and would never let her out of his sight (and) pushed us further and further away."
The young couple had two boys, ages 7 and 4.
Cimino said her daughter was "sweet and kind and smart. She was an excellent mother (who) loved her children so much."
Ashley Talarico managed a Women's Wellness Massage business from the couple's residence. According to the firm's website, the business specializes in prenatal massage and fertility services.
Nicholas Talarico was a business owner, and said to be a contractor with FedEx, which has a facility near the couple's home.
Workers there also expressed shock over the deaths.
News of the slaying rocked the upscale Brier Creek neighborhood where several police cruisers and a fire truck lined the street as first responders arrived at the house.
Neighbor Timothy Nicholason said he was outside for a Fourth of July cookout when officers arrived at the scene.
"It's a little concerning, with the celebrations going on and everything," he said. "We saw the helicopters and saw the news break, and I was a little concerned about what was going on."
According to Ashley Talarico's family, the viewing will be at Mitchell’s Funeral Home, located in the 7200 block of Glenwood Avenue, in Raleigh on Sunday, July 8 between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.
The funeral was scheduled to be held at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church on Leesville Road at 1 p.m. on Monday, July 9, according to family members.
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