Two adults and a 22-month-old baby were found dead in an Ohio home after they called 911 asking for “help” before the call abruptly ended.
The Tuscarawas County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release that the 911 dispatch center received a “hang-up call” on Wednesday, October 21, around 4:17 a.m., which was “almost immediately disconnected.”
Because the call was disconnected so quickly, police were not able to plot a location of where help was needed.
Dispatchers attempted to get back in touch with the caller by making several calls back. Police said that during one of the calls, a dispatcher believes they heard a voice “softly” say the word “help.”
Authorities were eventually able to trace the call, and they learned that the caller was potentially at a home in the village of Gnadenhutten.
Police then found a family member who was able to unlock the home, and officials entered the residence. Once inside, officers found a 67-year-old male, a 51-year-old female and a 22-month-old boy who were all deceased.
It is not currently clear how the victims were related to each other.
Authorities said that all three victims appeared to have suffered gunshot wounds, and a gun was found at the scene.
Tuscarawas County Coroner Dr. Jeff Cameron has since taken custody of the bodies and ordered autopsies to be performed, which will determine the manner and their causes of death.
Police noted in the press release that the owner of the phone indicated it was a spare device he had loaned to an associate.
“There are many people to interview and much to do with evidence from the scene, but I feel strongly that the community is in no danger,” Sheriff Orvis L. Campbell said in the statement about the tragedy.
Campbell added that authorities will “provide additional information once we are confident that we have gathered and verified all the necessary facts.”
“We would also like to thank Arrowhead Joint Fire District for their assistance on scene,” he continued.
Tuscarawas County Sheriff’s Detectives are actively investigating the case alongside the Gnadenhutten Police Department and the Tuscarawas County Coroner’s Office.
Police have not yet shared any theories about the case, including whether they believe the victims were killed in a murder-suicide or if an intruder may have killed them.
The Tuscarawas County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to Us’ request for comment regarding updates in the case.
