(Trigger Warning: Graphic details mentioned.)
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Three days after discovering the bodies of a Kerala family of four at their residence in Alameda de las Pulgas, California, the San Mateo Police confirmed in a statement on Thursday, 15 February, that it was a case of murder-suicide, and the husband, Anand Sujith Henry (42), has been identified as the suspect.
While Anand and his wife Alice Priyanka Benziger (40) were found with gunshot wounds on the bathroom floor, the bodies of their twin boys of four, Noah and Nathan, were found in the bedroom.
"Both Henry and Benziger succumbed to gunshot wounds and based on the shared investigation to date between the San Mateo Police Department, the San Mateo County Crime Lab, and the San Mateo County Coroner's Office, Anand Henry has been identified as the suspect," the San Mateo Police said in a statement on Thursday.
What Happened?
On the morning of Monday, 12 February, the San Mateo Police had gone for a welfare check at the family's residence, at the request of their relatives, who said they were not responding to their calls.
An initial statement issued by the San Mateo Police Department read: "After arriving, officers were met with no response, they searched the perimeter of the home and did not see any signs of forced entry into the house. Finding an unlocked window, officers entered the home and located four people dead; 1 adult male, 1 adult female, and two children."
The police also found a 9 mm handgun on the bathroom floor where the husband-wife duo's bodies were found.
"Based on the information we have at this time, this appears to be an isolated incident with no danger to the public as we are confident the person responsible was located within the home," the police had said in their initial statement.
Upon investigation, the police confirmed that the handgun was legally registered to Henry. "Our investigation shows Benziger succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds, while Henry suffered from a single shot. The cause of death for the minor boys is still pending pathology, but we can confirm they did not die from gunfire or show signs of bodily trauma," the police said.
As per media reports, the boys were most likely poisoned.
The police further confirmed there was no history of violence at the residence, adding that the incident may have occurred on 10 February. They, however, are yet to ascertain the motive for the crime.
Who Were Anand Henry & Alice Priyanka?
Anand and Alice have been living in the United States for the last nine years. He used to work as a software engineer, while she was a senior analyst. According to media reports, they had moved to San Mateo County from New Jersey two years ago.
As per to Anand's LinkedIn profile, he had worked as a software engineer manager at Meta for a little over a year.
Anand's father, G Henry, is a former principal at Fatima Mata National College in Kollam.
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