Police: Man held following deaths of woman, 2 children

EASTPOINTE, Mich. (AP) – A 38-year-old man is in custody Tuesday following the deaths of his wife and their two children, ages 3 and 9, at their home in suburban Detroit, police said.

The bodies of the 37-year-old woman, the 3-year-old girl and the 9-year-old boy were discovered by police Monday night at a home in Eastpointe. Investigators were awaiting autopsy results before presenting the case to prosecutors, Public Safety Director John McNeilance told reporters.

The man was held for questioning and hasn’t been charged, McNeilance said. Cause of death hasn’t been released, pending autopsy results. Police are not looking for anyone else in connection with the deaths, McNeilance told the Detroit Free Press.

Police officers discovered the bodies at the home in the eastern suburb after a family member called police asking for a welfare check at the home, McNeilance said.

Marline Carrick, who lives on the street, said she heard what sounded like gunfire coming from the house. The Macomb Daily reports that she said a woman, later identified as the dead woman’s mother, was on the front lawn mourning the deaths.

Late Monday night, police cordoned off much of the street. JeQuita Breham was returning home from the store when she noticed the activity. After learning that three people were dead, The Detroit News reported the Detroit Public Schools worker burst into tears.

“I never actually would have imagined something like this happening,” Breham said. “It’s generally quiet here.”