LETTERS spelling out how an Orsett man planned to shoot his step-son and then shoot himself were found next to his body, an inquest heard.
Robert Heaven, 61, executed the plan on Tuesday, December 3 last year, shooting his step son, Albert Stewart and then turning the gun on himself at the family home in Hemley Road, Orsett.
The inquest led by coroner, Caroline Beasley-Murray heard that Essex Police attended at the property in Hemley Road, shortly after 3pm.
Officers who attended found Mr Stewart, 45, at the top of the stairs on the landing. He had been shot several times.
It is understood that Mr Stewart survived the shooting but suffered "life-changing injuries."
The inquest heard that the 45-year-old had come home from work early after feeling unwell, before being shot several times by his step-father.
Mr Heaven was found around 15 feet away, in his bed having shot himself through the mouth.
DI Martin Passmore told the inquest: "There were letters nearby, written by the deceased. They spelt out his intention to seriously harm his step-son and then take his own life."
Mr Heaven also used the letter to warned police not to bother looking for the person who had supplied him with the 2.2 calibre pistol, adding "You will never find him".
The police did try to. DI Passmore said: "We think it had come from America. It hadn’t been used in crime in this country. There was an investigation into how it got here, but it dried up."
It is not clear what grudge Mr Heaven had against his step-son but police are satisfied that no one else was involved in the incident and there were no other witnesses.
Mrs Beasley-Murray concluded: "He [Mr Heaven] obviously felt very strongly and had a grudge against his step son and took an action, knowing it would lead to him taking his own life.
"What a tragic set of circumstances."
Andrew Beardwell, the step-son in law, married to the daughter of Mr Heaven’s partner, represented the family at the inquest.
He said: "This caused huge amounts of grief and continues to do so."
Coroner Caroline Beasley-Murray concluded that Mr Heaven had committed suicide in "a tragic set of circumstances".
