Four Dead At West Whiteland Home Apparent Murder-Suicide: Police

WEST WHITELAND TOWNSHIP, PA — A family of four was found dead inside their West Whiteland Township home Sunday afternoon after a family member reported being unable to contact them for days. Authorities called the deaths an apparent murder-suicide.

The West Whiteland Township Police Department and the Chester County District Attorney's Office are investigating four deaths at a home in the 100 block of Mountanview Road in West Whiteland Township. The district attorney reported two children and both their parents were found dead in the house.

Police were contacted by out-of-state family members around 12:33 p.m. on Jan. 24. The family members told police they were unable to contact them for several days.

Police used a garage door opener from one of the family's vehicles to enter the residence, where they found two adults and two children dead in the basement, the D.A. reported Monday.

West Whiteland Township police said the evidence at the home and an initial investigation indicated a murder-suicide.

West Whiteland Police Chief Lee Benson said, “We are doing a thorough investigation into the events that led up to the awful tragedy on Mountainview Road. While residents may be feeling uneasy in light of this event, I assure everyone that community safety is our number one priority."

"There is no threat to the community at large," the West Whiteland Township Police Department stated on Sunday evening.

"This incident is currently being actively investigated and no further details will be released at this time, including the identity of the victims," the district attorney's office said Monday afternoon.

The case is a joint investigation between the West Whiteland Police and the Chester County District Attorney's Office.

Chester County District Attorney Deb Ryan said, "This is a tragedy beyond comprehension because two children and both their parents are dead. These were members of our community. We will do everything in our power to learn why this horrific incident happened and urge anyone who needs support to contact the National Suicide Prevention hotline at 1-800-273-8255. My sympathy goes out to the family for their unimaginable loss."

Anyone with further information concerning this investigation is asked to call West Whiteland Police at 610-692-5100.