Texas family of six found dead along with pet cats in car at home garage in case of suspected murder-suicide
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS: Six members of a family, including four, children have been found dead inside a vehicle in their home garage in a case of suspected murder-suicide. The identification of the corpses has not been done yet, but police said at a news conference Thursday night, June 4, that they found two adults, a man and a woman, along with four children dead in an SUV in the Texas home's garage. They also discovered the family’s pet cats dead in a basket in the car’s front seat.
The adults were reportedly in their mid-to-late-30s, while the children ranged in age from 11 months old to four years old. San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said the incident did not appear to be an accident, and the cause of death "appears to be carbon monoxide poisoning."
According to reports, investigators arrived at the property after the man’s workplace requested the authorities for a welfare check. They told police that the man had not checked in for work like he normally would have since he was working from home. The dead man last checked in with colleagues on Wednesday, June 3. When police arrived at the property on Thursday morning and opened the door, they reportedly smelled noxious fumes and retreated.
McManus also told reporters that they found a "cryptic" note with "military jargon" on the front door of the family home. He added that when the note was interpreted, it was found the meaning of the cryptic message was "bodies or people inside," and warned, "Do not enter." To ensure safety, before entering the house, police officials reportedly sent a robot to search the house. They were suspicious that the home was "booby-trapped with explosives”. Nearby residents were also evacuated as investigators combed the scene.
Later, officers managed to get inside the garage, where they found the family dead along with the two pets in the basket in the front seat of the car. “It’s the whole picture. The adults, the children, the pets. Saying it’s not pretty – there are no words to describe that,” McManus said.
Meanwhile, it has been said that the family moved to the area in January, though neighbors told police they "never saw them" out and about, McManus said. "This is just the very beginning of the investigation. Although it appears to be a suicide they'll be combing through the house to find any evidence they can of what happened in greater detail,” the police chief stated, adding the family was connected to the military, but he did not give any further details related to it.
In a related incident in Lone Tree, Colorado, police encountered a grisly scene when they arrived at an apartment for a welfare check in September 2019. They “found an adult male and a juvenile male deceased inside the apartment”. "[We are] currently investigating this as a murder-suicide and do not believe that there is any threat to the public,” police said at the time. The coroner's department identified the bodies as 48-year-old Anthony Tesoriero and his 10-year-old son, Ty. While the official cause and manner of death were yet to be established pending investigation.