BLOODBATH IN THE MAYOR’S MANSION

By Sam Ihle, Crime Correspondent, and Jodie Williams, Political Reporter

Seabrook Viking News — August 27, 2025

A City Awakes to Horror

Seabrook awoke yesterday to the kind of news no community should ever have to confront: the violent, ritualistic-style murder of its sitting mayor, Elroy Oakes, and his family.

Mayor Oakes, 58, was discovered in the basement of the Mayor’s Mansion along with two wives — his first and second — and their blended children, both step- and biological. Sources familiar with the scene describe it as “Romanov-esque” in its brutality, a chilling echo of the execution of Russia’s last imperial family more than a century ago.

Police officials confirmed late Tuesday that the victims included Mayor Oakes himself, his first wife Marjorie Holt-Oakes (54), his second wife Vanessa Cruz-Oakes (46), three biological children, and two stepchildren.

“This is the single most devastating act of violence against an elected leader in Seabrook’s history,” Interim Chief of Police Caleb Donnelly told reporters at a late-afternoon press conference. “We are treating this as a mass homicide, and the investigation will be exhaustive.”

For residents of Seabrook — a city that prides itself on seaside tranquility and a reputation for resilient small-town politics — the scope of the crime has left citizens stunned, frightened, and demanding answers.

The Crime Scene

According to law enforcement officials, the bodies were discovered around 7:15 a.m. Tuesday, after mansion staff called 911 reporting “unusual silence” and “signs of forced confinement.”

Sources with direct knowledge of the investigation, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the Oakes family appeared to have been herded into the mansion’s basement sometime before dawn. The discovery mirrored the grisly accounts of the Romanovs’ last night in 1918: a prominent leader, his family, and the claustrophobic confinement of a basement.

“It was deliberate. That much is obvious,” one investigator told The Viking News. “This wasn’t random violence. This was execution-style.”

Blood patterns on the basement walls indicated gunfire at close range. However, law enforcement has not ruled out the presence of other weapons, citing evidence of blunt force trauma on some victims.

The mansion itself remains under heavy guard. Yellow police tape cordons off the wrought-iron gates. What had once been a stately home hosting charity dinners and summer barbecues now stands as a sealed crime scene, a symbol of loss in the heart of Seabrook.

A Night of Abduction

While police have not released a full timeline, neighbors of the Oakes’ first wife Marjorie Holt-Oakes reported hearing what they described as a “scuffle” in the early hours of the morning.

“I woke up around 3 a.m. to shouting — no, screaming — from across the street,” said Janice Larkin, a neighbor of Marjorie’s residence. “There was banging, like furniture being knocked over, and then… nothing. It went silent.”

Another neighbor, Thomas Redding, recalled what sounded like “a van door slamming, tires screeching.”

Authorities believe Marjorie and her children were forcibly removed from their home and transported to the Mayor’s Mansion, where they were later executed alongside the mayor, Vanessa, and the others.

“It was coordinated,” said a source familiar with the investigation. “It required multiple vehicles, multiple perpetrators, and a chilling level of planning.”

Who Was Mayor Elroy Oakes?

By all accounts, Elroy Oakes was larger than life in Seabrook politics. A second-term mayor, he was known for his booming baritone voice at council meetings, his love for the town’s annual Viking Festival, and his unshakable confidence.

“He was a showman,” said former city councilman Robert Valdez. “He knew how to work a crowd — sometimes that was to his advantage, sometimes it rubbed people the wrong way.”

A real estate developer before entering politics, Oakes built a campaign on promises of revitalization and economic growth. He successfully pushed for the controversial Harbor Expansion Project, which brought new tourism dollars but also displaced several long-time fishing families.

Political allies describe him as pragmatic; critics accused him of arrogance and self-interest.

“He wanted Seabrook to shine,” said his former chief of staff, Miranda Leong. “But he also wanted his name etched into the city’s story. Elroy wasn’t content with being a caretaker mayor. He wanted to be a builder, a reformer, maybe even a legend.”

A Complex Family

The Oakes family’s story is complicated — and now tragically final.

Mayor Oakes married his first wife, Marjorie Holt, at 23. Together they had three children: Daniel (31), Claire (27), and Timothy (25). Their marriage ended publicly and bitterly in 1999.

In 2004, Oakes married Vanessa Cruz, then a rising attorney in Seabrook. With Vanessa, he had two stepchildren — Anthony (now 21) and Isabella (19) — whom he helped raise alongside their half-sibling Sophia (16), his youngest biological daughter.

While the Oakes household was often photographed at galas and fundraisers, insiders knew the blended family was fraught with tension.

“Marjorie never forgave him,” said one longtime family friend. “But she stayed in Seabrook for the children. Everyone knew she still carried anger — and Elroy carried guilt.”

That bitterness now casts a haunting shadow. For both wives and all their children to perish together, in one night, in one room — the symbolism is devastating.

Political Earthquake

The fallout for Seabrook’s political landscape is immeasurable. With Oakes’ death, the city loses its most polarizing and powerful figure.

“He wasn’t just a mayor. He was a force,” said Councilwoman Lorraine Becker. “You loved him or you hated him, but you couldn’t ignore him.”

California Governor Raymond Tolland issued a statement Tuesday afternoon calling the murders “a shocking and grievous loss” and promising full state resources for the investigation.

“This is more than a crime,” Tolland said. “It is an attack on the civic heart of Seabrook.”

The Investigation

Law enforcement has yet to name suspects. However, the complexity of the crime suggests organization, resources, and motivation.

Chief Donnelly confirmed that the FBI and state police are now assisting local authorities.

“Given the prominence of the victims, this case requires every tool available,” Donnelly said.

Among the angles investigators are pursuing:

Political enemies: Oakes had no shortage of critics, particularly around the Harbor Expansion Project and ongoing zoning disputes.

Organized crime: Rumors have long circulated about Oakes’ connections — or at least entanglements — with developers tied to outside interests.

Personal vendettas: The bitter divorce from Marjorie, combined with long-standing family tensions, may have attracted enemies closer to home.

For now, officials stress that no theory is off the table.

Echoes of History

The Romanov parallel has dominated conversation among both law enforcement and residents.

“It’s eerie, the similarities,” said Dr. Karen Hulse, professor of modern history at Seabrook University. “The Romanovs were executed as a way of ending a dynasty. What happened here — a mayor, his wives, his children — feels symbolic, as though someone wanted to obliterate the Oakes legacy entirely.”

Whether the killers intended such symbolism remains to be seen. But the comparison has already taken hold in public imagination.

On social media, the hashtag #SeabrookRomanovs trended within hours of the news breaking.

Shockwaves in the Community

Seabrook is a city in mourning. Outside City Hall, a makeshift memorial of flowers, candles, and handwritten notes grows by the hour.

“This isn’t about politics,” said resident Amelia Tran, who placed a white rose at the site. “It’s about a family. Children. People we saw every day.”

Schools across the city observed a moment of silence Wednesday morning. Churches opened their doors for prayer vigils.

But grief has mingled with fear.

“If they can do this to the mayor,” said one resident at the vigil, “what does that mean for the rest of us?”

What Comes Next

In accordance with the city charter, Council President Lorraine Becker will serve as Acting Mayor until a special election is called.

“I never wanted it this way,” Becker said in a somber statement. “But I will do everything in my power to steady our city through this crisis.”

Funeral arrangements for the Oakes family are pending, though insiders say a joint memorial is being considered.

Meanwhile, police presence across Seabrook has been visibly heightened, with patrol cars stationed at key intersections and around government buildings.

A Community Changed

For Seabrook, the murders of the Oakes family will not fade quickly. The violent removal of a leader, his past and present families, and their children is more than tragedy; it is trauma, one that will shape civic life for years to come.

“Elroy Oakes was a complicated man,” said historian Dr. Hulse. “But the way his story ends — in a basement, with his entire family — guarantees he will be remembered not just as a politician, but as the center of one of the darkest chapters in Seabrook’s history.”

The investigation continues. The questions linger. And a city waits, grieving, fearful, and desperate for justice.