'My sincerest sympathy to the victims'

AUSTIN (KXAN) - The wife of accused suicide pilot Joe Stack released a statement on Friday morning about the incident that appeared to have taken the life of her husand and a federal employee.

Family spokesperson, Rayford Walker, read the words that Joe Stack's wife Sheryl had written but could not bear to say on her own.

"Sheryl says words cannot adequately express my sorrow or the sympathy I feel for everyone affected by this unimaginable tragedy," Walker said.

Investigators are still out here trying to determine exactly what happened at the home Thursday.

The timeline would indicate that Joe Stack burned down his home how he did it and then, only 30 minutes later, flew his single-engine plane into a busy building that contained a tax resolution office for the Internal Revenue Service. A posting on the web attributed to Stack spoke to his frustration with resolving his ongoing tax issues.

.Stack’s family, friends and neighbors said they never thought Stack was capable of either action. A former band mate describes the bassist as the kind of guy "everyone liked," and neighbors also find the details completely out of character.

"It’s just unbelievable,” said neighbor Robert Ham. “I didn't expect it to happen."

What investigators do know is Stack became enraged about the IRS Wednesday night. After a fight with his wife,  Sheryl Stack and Stack's stepdaughter went to a hotel.

“You can’t judge people by knowing him superficially from the outside,” said Ham.

At the scene of the house fire, ATF Explosives and Fire Unit is assisting Austin investigators. They have blocked off part of Metric behind the house, brought in a crane, and are searching for clues.

One mystery is the timeline between the start of the fire and when the plane smashed into the Echelon Building. The fire at the house was reported in at 9:18am and at 9:48 am, Joe Stack's plane slammed into the Echelon Building. However, it would have taken him thirty minutes just to drive from his north Austin home to the Georgetown Airport. Stack may have used a timer device or remote detonation. Investigators are also looking for signs of an accelerant or explosives.

Meanwhile, Stacks family and friends are also searching for answers. Here is Sheryl Stack's full statement:

 

"Words cannot adequately express my sorrow or the sympathy I feel for everyone affected by this unimaginable tragedy. I want to thank my friends, family, colleagues and neighbors, as well as members of my church and others for their expressions of kindness and generosity in our time of grief.

Due to the ongoing investigation related to this tragedy, I feel it best to make no comment beyond this statement and to not respond to questions of any nature. We appreciate the understanding and kindness of the news media in allowing us privacy and the personal space we need to get beyond the events of yesterday.

Again, my sincerest sympathy to the victims and their families."

Stack released the statement through someone she hired, Rayford Walker - who passed out paper copies to the media outside a house near the one authorities said Stack torched on Thursday morning.

According to early reports, the pilot apparently had a grudge against the IRS and crashed his plane into the agency's office building, engulfing the four-story building in flames in an apparent suicide. The act was meant to call attention to what he viewed as the tax agency's failings.

Stack died in his Piper PA-28 Dakota airplane when it struck Building I in the Echelon complex on Mopac and U.S. 183 around 10 a.m. - about 45 minutes after authorities said he set fire to his Northwest Austin home.

Sheryl Stack was a member of Berkeley United Methodist Church in South Austin. Reached by phone at the church, treasurer Ray Curtis said this was a difficult time for the entire church family.

"Any members going through a crisis, we stand behind them," said Curtis, choking up. "It's pretty emotional for all of us."

The church has set up an assistance fund for Sheryl and her family. Checks can be brought by the church or addressed to Berkeley United Methodist Church, 2407 Berkeley Ave., Austin, Texas, 78745-4304. The check can be made out to Berkeley United Methodist Church, with the name "Sheryl Stack" written in the memo line.