A pregnant mother and her two-year-old son were found dead by her father in his Idaho home after what’s believed to have been a murder-suicide.
The authorities responded to the scene in Wallace in northern Idaho at about 8.30pm on Wednesday, Shoshone County Sheriff Holly Lindsey said in a Facebook post.
The bodies of Elizabeth Lawley, 33, and her two-year-old son were found at the residence.
Both had gunshot wounds, and according to a preliminary investigation, Ms Lawely likely shot and killed the child before dying by suicide, the sheriff said.
“Speaking honestly, in my 19 years of service for Shoshone County, I’ve never seen the SCSO so somber, so devastated; we shared a lot of hugs, and we shared a lot of tears,” Sheriff Lindsey wrote. “Today was an extremely difficult day for the family, for our office, and for this community. And I can only imagine what the family is going through.”
“As the Sheriff, I’m obligated to share the news with the citizens of Shoshone County, but I can’t in good conscience put the family through any more pain by reporting on this incident any further, so this will be our last comment pertaining to this tragedy,” the sheriff added.
The small town of Wallace is located in northern Idaho near the Montana border and east of Coeur d’Alene.
After arriving at the home, the Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office asked for help from the Idaho State Police to go through the scene and launch the investigation, according to the Coeur d’Alene Press.
Ms Lawley’s father came back to his house at about 6pm on Wednesday, thinking that his daughter and grandson were napping in one of the rooms. As the night went on, he eventually went to check on them, finding them dead.
Law enforcement said Ms Lawley was six months pregnant at the time of her death. Her father isn’t considered to be a suspect.
The authorities stayed at the home until the early morning as they processed the scene after getting a search warrant.
Shoshone County Captain Jeff Lee said the evidence collected strongly suggests that it was a murder-suicide.
“Not only the community, but the Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office is extremely saddened and shocked at the incident,” the captain said, according to the Coeur d’Alene Press. “We are continuing the investigation and awaiting the complete processing of all of the evidence, as well as the medical examiner’s report and all of their findings.”
Ms Lawley’s family has been made aware of the tragic incident, and out of respect for the privacy of the family, the name of the child will not be made public.
