Family Found Murdered

In a quiet Southside neighborhood near the river, as well as Carytown's business district and the greater Richmond pop music scene, the worst of news spread on the first day of 2006 -- a family of four brutally murdered. The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports what is known at this writing (the morning of Jan. 2) about the mind-boggling story of the Harveys, parents and two daughters -- as attractive and well-liked a family as one can imagine -- being found dead in their home yesterday afternoon.

"A well-known Richmond couple and their two young daughters were found bound with their throats cut yesterday afternoon in the basement of their South Richmond home. Richmond firefighters made the discovery about 1:45 p.m. after responding to a 911 call reporting a fire at the home of Bryan and Kathryn Harvey at 812 W. 31st St. in the Woodland Heights neighborhood. Investigators said the family members had invited friends for a New Year's Day chili party that was to start about 2 [p.m.]."

Bryan Harvey (circa 1988)
Photo: Greg Allen for Rolling Stone

My own memory of Bryan goes back 25 years, or more, to when he was a member of the Dads, a popular Fan District-based band. Later he and Johnny Hott performed as the House of Freaks, a two-man band that was quite well-received in alternative circles. Harvey has been part of a number of other Richmond bands, most recently including NrG Krysys.

Kathryn Harvey (2005)
Photo: Chris Hancock for Work Magazine

Kathryn, I first remember as a VCU art student, who waitressed at the Texas-Wisconsin Border Cafe in the late-80s. The first location for her World of Mirth shop was on the 800 block of W. Grace St., a few doors west of the old Biograph Theatre (now Hyperlink) location.

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