MURDOCK — Ken and Jo Livers heard the news Wednesday morning: two of their grandsons had been arrested for first-degree murder.

“We were surprised they were suspects,” said Jo Livers, whose grandsons — Matthew D. Livers, 28, of Lincoln, and Nicholas B. Sampson, 22, of Palmyra — were arrested late Tuesday in the deaths of Wayne and Sharmon Stock. “We just couldn’t believe it.”

The couple hadn’t seen their grandsons in a few months, but said the violent crimes the two men are accused of don’t match their personalities.

“They were good and hardworking,” Ken Livers said, adding that he and his wife were willing to help the two out whenever they needed it.

The word that two suspects were arrested spread quickly through Murdock Wednesday.

And some residents, like Heather Othmer and Dort Ricci, were feeling a sense of relief.

“You know, we’ve lived here for three years and we used to leave our garage door unlocked, mostly because it was safe to do so, or so it seemed,” Othmer said.

But after the Stocks were found shot last week in their rural Murdock home, Othmer said she and others took more precautions.

“I guess now I’m more conscious of the danger that exists everywhere, you know? Like, it happened here (in Murdock),” she said.

“I pay attention to strange sounds and make sure everything’s locked.”

Othmer said she feels better knowing authorities had made arrests, though she likely won’t leave anything unlocked anytime soon.

Dort Ricci, who lives down the street, said she was shocked — but not surprised — when she heard the suspects’ names.

“The rumor mill had it on the street that Matt was the one who (did) it,” Dort Ricci said. “I guess I’m sort of flipping out on that a little, because my youngest son was good friends with him.”

She said when her family moved to Murdock 18 years ago, it was hard for her two oldest children — high school-aged at the time — to make friends.

But her youngest son, Jon Ricci, made friends with Matthew Livers, because the fifth-graders were in special education classes together.

“He was sometimes mean and sometimes nice,” said Jon Ricci, who lives in the Omaha area now. “I remember him being pretty violent. Like once we were playing around and he broke my collarbone. I barely remember it, but I think it was an accident.”

The last time Jon Ricci saw Matthew Livers was in 2000, when Matthew began hanging out with Sampson.

Reach Jonnie Taté Finn at 473-7395 or tfinn@journalstar.com.