A father fatally stabbed his wife and two young children before killing himself in their Upper West Side apartment, police said. The father, 41, who was the superintendent of the building, and the mother, 40, were found in an apartment on the fourth floor of West 86th Street, close to Riverside Drive.
The grim discovery was made just before 3 pm on Monday. Also present in the apartment were their two children: a 1-year-old boy and a 3-year-old boy, according to police and sources. However, there were conflicting media reports over whether the three-year-old was a girl or a boy.
Grisly Murder-Suicide
The father of the slain wife and another family member, who is the superintendent of a building nearby, went to the apartment to check on the family of four. They became concerned as they hadn't been in contact with them since Sunday morning, according to sources.
The family members called 911 after forcibly opening the apartment's lock and discovering traces of blood inside.
According to The New York Times, he drilled a hole in the door, allowing him to see his son's wife in a critical condition, bleeding profusely. Subsequently, he alerted others about the situation.
The article mentioned that firefighters had to forcefully open the door to gain access to the apartment, where the remaining family members were found.
When the first responders arrived, they found the two children in the living room, both bearing multiple stab wounds. Additionally, two knives were found in close proximity, as reported by the sources.
Sources said that the woman's body was found in the hallway, with significant cuts to her neck. Meanwhile, the man's body was found in a bedroom, positioned on a bed, and a knife was found adjacent to him.
Investigation Still Ongoing
Police have launched an investigation and are yet to officially reveal the cause of death.
A police spokesperson told NBC: "I'm not sure how those injuries were sustained. That is part of an ongoing investigation. It was possibly a murder-suicide, but that's not been definitively determined yet."
Insider sources said that the apartment was secured from within, indicating that it was locked from the inside.
The victims were declared dead at the scene. heir identities are being withheld pending family notification.
According to the same sources, there is no known criminal history associated with the father, and there is no prior record of law enforcement responding to any incidents at the family's home.
