Oakland County mother, her 2 young children found dead in apparent double murder-suicide

Police say incident might have been due to custody dispute

BANGOR TOWNSHIP, Mich. – Police said an Oakland County mother and her two young children were found dead Tuesday in an apparent murder-suicide.

The three bodies were found in Bangor Township, near Bay City. Officials said it's still unclear why the woman would hurt her children and drive more than an hour away from Oakland County to commit the act.

A maintenance worker found the woman and her children dead behind a building in Bangor Township, police said. The worker wanted to know why a black sedan was parked on the property.

He called police, and investigators found the boy and girl both, under the age of 5, each with a single gunshot wound to the head.

Police said the boy was just outside the car. His sister was in the back seat.

Investigators said the woman was in the front seat with a gunshot wound. A gun was found next to her.

Officials said it's still early in the investigation, but the incident might have stemmed from a custody dispute.

Someone asked investigators in Oakland County to check on the mother and her children Monday night, but the check turned up empty.

"It's tragic," Bay County Sheriff Troy Cunningham said. "Something like this is so horrific, it's just beyond comprehension. It's terrible it took place. Our hearts go out to families, or anyone involved with the family members."

It's unclear if the mother had any connection to the Bangor Township area, police said.


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Derick is the Lead Digital Editor for ClickOnDetroit and has been with Local 4 News since April 2013. Derick specializes in breaking news, crime and local sports.