Police investigating death of 4 family members at Pa. home

EXTON — Police are investigating the deaths of four family members found in the basement of their southeastern Pennsylvania home.

Police in Chester County responded to the West Whiteland Township home after an out-of-state relative called shortly after 12:30 p.m. Sunday to report being unable to contact the family.

Detective Scott Pezick said the bodies of a 50-year-old man, his 47-year-old wife and their two sons, ages 8 and 15, were found in the basement. Pezick said they are believed to have died sometime in the past three days but declined comment on how they died.

The family had lived in the Mountain View Drive residence for two years, although they had lived in the township prior to that, Pezick said. Their names weren’t immediately released.

“The initial investigation and evidence at the scene indicate that this incident is the result of a murder-suicide and that there is no threat to the community at large,” township police said in a statement.

Autopsies were to be conducted by the county coroner’s office Monday and Tuesday, Pezick said.