"Welcoming and loving": Friends mourn Breanne Pennington, mother murdered in Gardner
GARDNER - Friends of Breanne Pennington, a 30-year-old mother of four, who was found shot to death in her Gardner home, are sharing fond memories of her as the search for her husband, Aaron Pennington, who is wanted in connection with her murder, continues.
"Knowing her was like knowing what it would be like to know warmth and light in the form of a person. She was welcoming and loving with everyone. Just one of the most kind people you're ever going to meet," said Mike Shumaker, who met Breanne at their church in Arizona.
Breanne grew up on the West Coast, according to friends, before she met Aaron in Arizona. The couple started a family as Breanne followed Aaron during his military career in the Air Force.
That is when Courtney Robinson met Breanne, fondly known by friends as Breezy. Robinson and Breanne connected on a Facebook group for new mothers and bonded over their mutual joy and love of mac n cheese.
"Thinking about Breezy and the light that she brought to that group and all of our lives. She made motherhood seem effortless. She was just a natural at it. And she was also the one who would cheer for all of us," Robinson said.
Another friend described Breanne as a treasure.
"Breezy was the funniest person, she had the best/worst dark humor, she loved true crime, cooking, heavy metal, and most importantly her babies," the friend wrote in a Facebook message to WBZ. "If you look up the term 'mama bear' in the dictionary, it's a picture of Breezy."
Aaron and Breanne had only recently moved to Gardner and had been dealing with marital issues "for quite some time" according to court documents. The documents state that Aaron has a history of mental health issues and had attempted suicide and that Breanne had planned to move to Texas with the children.
All four of the couple's children are now in the care of the Department of Children and Families.