PARIS – After more than one month of uncertainty, the custody case of two children whose family members were shot to death over Labor Day weekend has been handed from Oxford County Probate Court to a court in California.

Leila Bullard, 11, and her brother, Elliott Bullard, 9, were orphaned after their mom, Selby Bullard, and grandmother, Julie Bullard, were shot to death at the Black Bear Bed & Breakfast in Newry where they lived.

Selby’s husband was killed in a car accident years ago in California, where she grew up and where most of her immediate family lives. She moved to Maine in 2004 to help her mother run the inn on Sunday River Road, and she did real estate work.

Christian C. Nielsen, 31, who resided at the inn, has been indicted on four murder charges, including the shooting deaths of Selby’s friend, Cynthia Beatson, and inn guest James Whitehurst.

After their mom was killed, the children moved in with a family friend, Robin Mills, in Bethel. Mills’ husband confirmed Sept. 19 that the children had stayed there.

The court awarded temporary guardianship to the children’s maternal aunt and uncle, Adrienne and Daniel McNally of San Francisco until the California court makes a final decision.

Court records state the children are in grief counseling, which will continue in California.

A Web site, www.friendsofjuliebullard.com, run by family friend Rhys McClure, expresses disappointment with the way the case has been handled.

The following statement was posted on the site regarding the custody case:

“It’s official, the kids leave Maine and go to California on Saturday, Oct. 21. The extended family will decide which family member will take on the primary raising of the kids. As a friend of the family and administrator of this site, I want to express my shock and dismay that the children have been put through over a month of uncertainty by a judge who seems oblivious to their sorrow and suffering.

“And the remaining family members have had to suffer through this as well. There was never any reason for them to remain in Maine, when their entire family is located in California.”

Probate Judge Dana Hanley could not be reached for comment late Monday afternoon.

Register of Probate Tom Winsor said Monday that the court followed procedure on the case. Custody battles can take any amount of time, from a couple days to more than a month, to decide, he said.

“The whole situation is particularly unfortunate,” Winsor said.