Vicious trolls have targeted a mother who died alongside her son in a murder suicide.
Erica Bond, 47, and her nine-year-old son Lochlan were found dead at their home on the NSW Central Coast on Tuesday afternoon, in what police said was a murder suicide.
A neighbour said the boy’s grandmother screamed for help after discovering the bodies. Lochlan is believed to have been in his bedroom and his mother outside.
Husband and father Andrew Bond, was at work when the tragedy happened and arrived home to the devastating news.
It is understood Mrs Bond suffered from mental health issues and had posted to social media about struggles with depression just weeks before her death.
In one of her last Facebook posts she shared video about suicide prevention and message read saying ‘depression is REAL. People can smile all day and still be broken inside.’
But following the deaths, social media users swamped Mrs Bond’s public Facebook posts with a barrage of abusive messages.
Trolls have targeted Erica Bond’s Facebook page after she died alongside her son Lochlan, 9, (pictured) in a murder suicide, as friends raise funds for the tragic pair’s funeral
Lochlan Bond (pictured) was found dead alongside his mother Erica Bond, 47, on Tuesday afternoon at their home in Wyongah on the New South Wales Central Coast
During his innocent childhood in Wyongah, almost 100km north of Sydney, Lochlan (pictured with his father Andrew) rode quadbikes and painted his face as Dracula on New Year’s Eve
On Mrs Bond’s page the slew of merciless critics took aim at the mother-of-one, forcing friends to come to her defense.
‘The devil has a special place in hell for people like you,’ one troll wrote.
However, others were quick to attempt to mute the trolls, saying such dialogue was responsible for similar tragedies.
‘It is because of people like you, who leave their hate speeches on a dead woman’s Facebook page, who make this world a place, some people can’t deal with anymore,’ posted one defender.
‘I think everyone needs to just grow up and stop judging and leaving nasty messages that a grieving family can see,’ added another.
On Mrs Bond’s page the slew of merciless critics took aim at the mother-of-one, forcing friends to come to her defense
The comments came as friends rallied around the pair’s husband and father through a Go Fund Me to help with their funeral costs.
‘I’ve set up this site for any friends of the Bond family who would like to help Andrew through this tragic time, any help would be much appreciated,’ said its creator.
So far the fund has raised more than a quarter of its goals in just two days with over $6,000 in donations.
The tragedy followed a seemingly idyllic childhood for young Lochlan, one which was documented in now-heartbreaking family photos posted online.
Heartbreaking family photos document the happy childhood of a nine-year-old boy who died in a suspected murder-suicide.
Just last month Ms Bond uploaded a photo of her smiling son to Facebook captioned ‘What a handsome young man’ with a red love heart.
Other images show him trying sushi for the first time, swimming with his father, playing golf and hanging out with friends at a local skate park.
Defenders were quick to attempt to mute the trolls, saying such dialogue was responsible for similar tragedies
Images of his innocent childhood show Lochlan Bond trying sushi for the first time (pictured), swimming with his father, playing golf and hanging out with friends at a local skate park
‘I tried and tried and did succeed to get Lochie to finally eat Sushi,’ his mother wrote alongside one Facebook photo.
Ms Bond took photos of the family during trips to the beach and Taronga Zoo in Sydney, and of Lochlan and another boy with showbags from the Royal Easter Show.
Lochlan also enjoyed trips to the beach, laser tag, riding his scooter and bicycle, and was a keen athlete who excelled at long jump, running and discus.
During his innocent childhood in Wyongah, about 100km north of Sydney, Lochlan rode quadbikes and painted his face as Dracula on New Year’s Eve.
He owned four pet budgerigars, and can be seen sleeping alongside one of the family’s two dogs.
In 2016 Lochlan won three events at the Tuggerawong Public School athletic carnival, and came third in two others.
The champion runner also received an award for breaking the school record in the 7-year-old boys’ 100m sprint, finishing in 17.56 seconds.
Ellen Smith, the mother of one of Lochlan’s close friends, said the tragedy had left her in shock, and described the nine-year-old as ‘sweet and talkative’.
Just last month Ms Bond uploaded a photo of her smiling son to Facebook captioned ‘What a handsome young man’ (pictured)
Ms Bond (pictured, left) worked at Kooindah Waters Golf Club as a golf shop and drinks cart assistant, and was a passionate golfer herself (Lochlan Bond is pictured, right)
‘How do I explain to my boy his best mate has passed away? How do you explain that to a 13-year-old?’ she told The Daily Telegraph.
‘I can’t stop the tears streaming down my son’s face, it’s going to hit him hard being in his classroom,’ another mother wrote on Facebook.
Henry Sun-Woo, a retiree who lives at the golf club where Ms Bond worked, said he saw her on Sunday and said the incident was hard to believe.
‘It’s not possible. She [Ms Bond] loves him [Lochlan] so much. I never saw her do anything bad towards her own son. She’s always taking care of him,’ he said.
‘I am absolutely shocked at this, how could that happen? That cannot be. I’m shocked. I see them as a happy family.’
Lochlan owned four pet budgerigars, and can be seen sleeping alongside one of the family’s two dogs (pictured)
Lochlan also enjoyed trips to the beach, laser tag, riding his bicycle (pictured) and was a keen athlete
Nine-year-old Lochlan (pictured, right) loved riding his scooter with friends at local skate park
On Tuesday night the school posted a message to parents and carers offering support for students in the aftermath of the tragedy.
‘By now many of you would have heard that one of our students and parent has passed away,’ Principal Grant McFarland said.
‘I wanted to confirm that the school will be open tomorrow and that we are ensuring that significant additional support is available for any student who may need it tomorrow and over the coming days.
‘The staff and I appreciate the tremendous support of our parents and our broader school community at this challenging time.
Ms Bond was a keen golfer, and several of her photos show Lochlan (pictured) enjoying the sport
‘Our heartfelt thoughts are with our much valued students’ family and friends at this time.’
Ms Bond worked at Kooindah Waters Golf Club as a golf shop and drinks cart assistant, and was a passionate golfer herself.
Wyong state MP David Harris took to Twitter on Tuesday night to publicly express his condolences.
‘My condolences to the family and friends of those involved in the tragic deaths in Wyongah today. Very sad to hear. A real tragedy,’ he tweeted.
Tuggerah Lakes Police Acting Inspector Matt Kelly confirmed the tragic deaths were the result of a murder-suicide, the Express Advocate reported.
Lochlan received an award for breaking the school record in the 7-year-old boys’ 100m sprint, finishing in 17.56 seconds
In 2016 Lochlan won three events at the Tuggerawong Public School athletic carnival, and came third in two others
On Tuesday night the school posted a message to parents and carers offering support for students in the aftermath of the tragedy
‘Detectives are investigating the circumstances surrounding their deaths but no other parties are being sought in relation to this incident,’ New South Wales Police said.
A crime scene was established at the house, where police remained on Tuesday night. A report will be prepared for the coroner.
Ms Bond, who was well-known in the local community, shared several chilling Facebook posts about depression in the lead-up to her death.
One of her last updates was a shared video about suicide prevention.
Another message shared on July 10 read: ‘Depression is REAL. People can smile all day and still be broken inside.’
If you or anyone need someone to talk to, contact Lifeline Australia 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636
• Suicide Call Back Service – 1300 659 467
• Kids Helpline – 1800 55 1800
• MensLine Australia – 1300 78 99 78
If you need an interpreter to help you get in touch with any of the above services, call the Translating and Interpreting Service on 131 450
A crime scene was established at the house, where police remained on Tuesday night