Victim's Husband Had Violent Past, Threatened Her With Knife Neighbor Says Man Accused Of Killing Wife, Stepchildren Filled With Rage

So why wasn't this guy in jail? Get him help? The message needs to be loud and clear that people like this should be in jail.

This man killed his ex-wife and 4 of her children, then walked outside and killed himself in front of the police.

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RIVIERA BEACH, Fla. -- Police records reveal that Patrick Dell was arrested on charges of aggravated assault with a weapon five days before Christmas 2009 after his wife and a friend called 911 in a panic, saying he was trying to kill them.

Dell recently moved out of the family home in Riviera Beach, where police said he fatally shot estranged wife Natasha Whyte-Dell and his four stepchildren before killing himself early Monday morning.

According to the December 2009 police report, Dell and Whyte-Dell were separated after Dell accused his wife of infidelity with neighbors.

Shawana Habershann, a neighbor of the couple, told WPBF 25 News' Terri Parker that she was standing in the doorway of her home talking to Whyte-Dell when her husband came around the corner and charged them with a knife.

"I've never seen (no one) in a rage like that," Habershann said.

Habershann said the women ran inside the house and locked the door while Dell carved an X into the concrete driveway and slashed all four tires of Whyte-Dell's car.

According to the report, Dell told his wife, "Your family is going to cry today," and "You will be going to the morgue."

Dell was arrested, but Habershann said his wife forgave him the next day. It was just one of many times she took him back after a violent encounter, she said.

"She always said, 'That's my husband and I love him and I'm going to get him some help,'" Habershann said. "That's what she always told me."

A judge ordered Dell to undergo a mental evaluation, but Habershann said she didn't think he ever had one. Habershann said she regrets that she wasn't able to convince her friend that Dell was dangerous.

"I haven't talked to her -- physically talked to her in a couple of days -- and now I realize I won't (ever) talk to her again, you know, and that's what hurts me," Habershann said.