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Three found dead at home south of Ukiah as Mendocino County investigation continues

A 44-year-old man and his two children, ages 7 and 14, were found dead Friday at a home on Old River Road. Investigators believe the father killed the children and then died by suicide; autopsies are pending.

Three found dead at home south of Ukiah as Mendocino County investigation continues
A 44-year-old man and his two children, a 14-year-old girl and a 7-year-old boy, were found dead Friday at their home on Old River Road, about eight miles south of Ukiah, the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office said. A 911 call transferred from the California Highway Patrol reached the Sheriff’s Office at about 10:20 a.m. Friday, reporting that two children at the home needed medical assistance. People at the property drove the children north on Old River Road to meet emergency crews near the Mendocino County Office of Education, just south of Talmage Road. The children were unresponsive and had no pulses, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Medics and other first responders performed CPR and other lifesaving efforts, but were unable to revive them. Deputies sent to the home found the children’s father dead there. “Initial evidence and interviews indicate the adult male killed the two children and then committed suicide at the residence,” Capt. Quincy Cromer said in a statement Saturday. The father’s name is being withheld while authorities work to notify next of kin. The children are not being identified because they were minors. Investigators are continuing to interview people and gather evidence. The Sheriff’s Office has not disclosed a possible motive. Autopsies have been scheduled, and the official causes and manners of death have not yet been determined. Cromer said there are no outstanding suspects and no ongoing threat to the community. Sheriff’s Office chaplains were sent to support relatives and first responders. Anyone with information can contact the Sheriff’s Office at 707-463-4086, option 1. Anonymous tips can be left at 707-234-2100.

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