Mapleton​ Family Of 4 Killed In Apparent Murder-Suicide: Police

MAPLETON, UT — A Mapleton family of four and their dog were found dead with gunshot wounds in what appeared to be a murder-suicide, police said on Friday. The bodies of a man, woman, teenage girl and young boy were found late Thursday inside their home, police Chief John Jackson said.

Neighbors reported that the family hadn't been seen for days but the lights were on and their cars remained parked. One member of the family missed work for several days, Jackson said. Officers were called to the home around 9 p.m. Thursday.

The officers received no answer at the front door but were concerned and removed a window to get inside. Officers then found the four bodies and a dead dog that also had been shot.

Jackson did not offer details about what may have led to the killings or how they unfolded. Police did not release the identities of the family because investigators were still notifying other family members of the deaths.

The chief said the family had moved to the town a few months earlier and police had not had any prior interactions with them.

Mapleton, nestled against the mountains about 10 miles south of Provo, has a population of about 9,500.

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