DRUMHELLER -- The mother of a toddler killed by his father in a murder-suicide in Drumheller, believed to be over a custody battle, was planning to leave town with her son to protect him from the man she was about to divorce, say close friends.

Richard Saunders, 34, and his three-year-old son Colton were found dead Sunday in a home in the town, 110 km northeast of Calgary, after spending what was supposed to be their last weekend together before the boy and his mother, Mera, moved, said friend Wayne Marshall.

"She had planned on leaving the province, moving to Ontario, largely to get away from this stuff, and (Saunders) got a court order preventing her from doing so," he said, adding the couple were soon to appear in court to sort out details of the move.

"She told me about a week ago that 'in less than a month I'm going to be away from this.' "

Marshall said he is upaset the father was allowed to see the child even after authorities were told of the potential danger.

"(Saunders) was still entitled to visitation rights and she accommodated him," he said. "She knew she shouldn't, but figured she had to follow the letter of the law.

"I'll tell you what, the law has enabled this murder."

Marshall said the couple separated about 18 months ago and Saunders made life hell for his estranged wife ever since, through intimidation and irrational behaviour.

"This is something she felt she had to do because of the ongoing problems -- she's been running in fear for a long time," another friend Jim Pringle said of the planned move.

"Back in July, I told her to go to the RCMP, which she did, to complain about the lack of action in regards to everything that was going on," he said. "I felt he was a time bomb."

When reached by the Sun yesterday, Mera alleged Saunders also has a history of domestic violence.

"I will be ... completely open with the domestic violence that's been going on," she said.

RCMP Sgt. Patrick Webb said there was no obvious injury to the pair and no weapon was found, but there was a lethal level of carbon monoxide in the home when EMS arrived.

"They were found together in the same room," he said, adding the case has been hard on the investigators.

"It's such a tragedy."

Webb said causes of death have not been released pending toxicology exam results.