Parents, 4 Kids, Pets Found Dead in Texas Garage Amid Smell of Carbon Monoxide: 'Not an Accident'

Police found a "very cryptic" note warning anyone from entering the home

Family of 6 found dead in their car inside of their garage
Photo: KEN5/YouTube

Police in Texas are investigating a possible murder-suicide after a family of six was found dead in their home.

"It's the whole picture. The adults, the children, the pets," San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said during a press conference Thursday. "Saying it's not pretty — there's no words to describe that."

Earlier that morning, police responded to a welfare check at a San Antonio home. Upon arrival, officers noticed the smell of carbon monoxide McManus said “kind of blew everybody back out the door.”

Officers also found a note that McManus described as "very cryptic" with "“military jargon" that warned people from entering the home. Afraid the home could be rigged with explosives, authorities checked for bombs but found none.

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Instead, they found the family dead inside their small SUV. The parents were in their 30s, McManus said, and the children ranged in age from 11 months to 4 years old. The family's two cats were also inside the vehicle.

McManus didn't directly comment on whether the family's deaths were from a murder-suicide but did say they were "not an accident." He declined to identify the family but did reveal they had ties to the military. He said they had moved into the house in January.

The family is believed to have died Wednesday night. The investigation remains ongoing.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.

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