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Father In Slaying-Suicide ID'd

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By VALERIE KALFRIN and CHRIS ECHEGARAY, The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 18, 2007

Oliver Thomas Bernsdorff exceeded expectations as an adult education teacher for Pinellas County, according to his performance reviews.

Police think Bernsdorff did the unexpected Friday.

Investigators on Monday confirmed it was Bernsdorff's body found Friday in a van near the Sunshine Skyway bridge. Police think he killed his two children, his ex-wife and her partner.

Joelle Castelli, a spokeswoman for Clearwater, said the Manatee County medical examiner confirmed to the city that Bernsdorff, 36, had been identified through his tattoos.

The medical examiner's office referred questions to the Manatee County Sheriff's Office.

Investigators think Bernsdorff killed his ex-wife, Jennifer Renee Davis, 27, and her partner, Andrea Pisanello, 53, in a Largo apartment on Friday. He also is thought to have killed his and Davis' two children, Olivia, 4, and Magnus, 2, in his Clearwater home before killing himself.

Castelli said investigators were working to establish a timeline of the deaths. "With the proximity of Largo and Clearwater, it's difficult to determine the sequence," she said.

Bernsdorff's actions are a contrast to the comments on his reviews in his personnel file. In 2005, he is commended for giving individual attention to students.

The earliest review was from May 2000. A supervisor wrote: "His expertise in technology applications is unparalleled. We are fortunate to have attracted someone with his skills to education. He has had an immediate positive impact on our program."

His records do not include his review from this year. By law, the school district says it is required to keep his most recent review closed for one year before making it public.

His personnel file contains no complaints or investigations about his behavior in or out of the classroom.

News Channel 8 reporter Rod Challenger contributed to this report. Reporter Valerie Kalfrin can be reached at (813) 259-7800 or vkalfrin@tampatrib.com.

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