HEMPFIELD TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A married couple and their two young children were found dead in Westmoreland County in what police are calling an apparent murder-suicide.
Pennsylvania State Police are investigating the incident that happened at a home on Keck Lane in Hempfield Township.
Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson identified the victims Friday morning as Paul Swarner, 35, Karen Swarner, 32, Evelyn Swarner, 5 and Connor Swarner, 1.
Troopers said they received a call at 11:30 p.m. Thursday from Karen Swarner’s dad who had done a welfare check on the family and found his daughter, Paul Swarner and their kids dead.
State police said that Paul Swarner shot his wife and kids before turning the gun on himself.
The last contact anyone had with the family was on Wednesday, and police said no one could get a hold of them on Thursday.
The family told police that Karen Swarner did not seem in distress when they last talked to her.
Troopers said they don’t have any domestic violence history with the couple that they were ever called to.
State police said they’re still working through determining a motive and when exactly everything happened. Troopers are going to check baby monitors and see what may have led Paul Swarner to kill his family.
This is the second murder-suicide in Westmoreland County since Christmas Eve, and the fourth in our region in that time frame.
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