A 12-year-old girl called 911 after finding her mother unresponsive inside a northwest Harris County home late Thursday night, where deputies say they later discovered both her mother and stepfather dead in what investigators believe was an apparent murder-suicide.
The incident happened around 11 p.m. in the 12500 block of Baldwin Springs.
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According to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, the girl told dispatchers her mother was unresponsive. When deputies and EMS arrived, they found the child unharmed outside the home.
Investigators said they then located a woman dead inside the residence and found a man dead in a separate room.
Authorities believe the man was the girl’s stepfather, while the woman was her biological mother. Officials said all three had lived at the home for some time.
“This is looking more like it is a murder-suicide,” HCSO Homicide Sgt. Michael Ritchie said during a Friday morning briefing.
Investigators said there were no signs of forced entry or evidence that anyone else was involved. One weapon was recovered from the scene, though authorities have not released what type of weapon it was or how either victim died.
The sheriff’s office has not identified the victims, and their causes of death remain under investigation.
Deputies are reviewing surveillance video, speaking with neighbors and working to establish a timeline of what happened. Officials said they are also trying to determine whether there had been any previous domestic violence incidents involving the family.
Neighbors who spoke with KPRC 2 off camera said they had previously seen the woman injured during an apparent domestic disturbance outside the home. They claimed deputies responded at the time, but said the woman declined to press charges. The Harris County Sheriff’s Office said it has not yet confirmed whether there were any prior calls for service at the residence.
A friend of the family, who also spoke off camera, said the girl’s older sister is currently in Venezuela and contacted friends after learning what happened. The friend said the 12-year-old had been asleep before discovering her mother and later finding her stepfather in another room.
The investigation remains ongoing.