GASTON, N.C. — A Gaston County man accused of intentionally crashing his SUV into a restaurant last May and killing two of his family members is expected to appear in court Monday.
Detectives said Roger Self drove his SUV into the Surf and Turf Lodge in Bessemer City after he abruptly left the restaurant during lunch on May 20, 2018. Self is facing two counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of his daughter, 26-year-old Katelyn Self, and daughter-in-law, 35-year-old Amanda Self. Prosecutors are expected to hand down additional charges in the case.
Self's family members blamed the crash on his deteriorating mental health condition. Austin Rammell, pastor of Venture Church in Dallas, said that Self suffered from severe depression and anxiety.
"And by severe, I mean severe. This wasn't your normal, what you and I would go through when something bad happens in our life. It was severe and it was a roller coaster," Rammell said.
Katelyn Self made a reservation at Surf and Turf Lodge because as Rammell put it, she “just wanted to have a good time with her dad.”
“Next thing they know, he came through the window. There was zero [indication],” Rammell said. “Not in a million years would anybody that knows Roger Self ever have imagined that he would do this. This is the opposite of who he is, the opposite of what he's known for in this community."
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