Indian American family found dead in California; police suspect murder-suicide

AN Indian American family from Kerala was found dead at their home in California, the US, in an apparent case of murder-suicide.

The family have been identified as Anand Sujith Henry, 42, his wife Alice Priyanka, 40, and their 4-year-old twin children Noah and Neithan.

Police found the bodies after one of the family's relatives sought a welfare check as nobody in the house was attending the call.

The Indian American couple, Anand and Alice, were found dead with gunshot wounds inside a bathroom. The twin children were discovered dead in a bedroom, with the cause of their death still under investigation.

"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; one adult male, one adult female, and two children," police said.

A 9mm pistol and a loaded magazine were recovered from the bathroom. The couple had purchased the house in 2020 for $2.1 million, records show.

An initial assessment by the police suggests a possible murder-suicide scenario, though they have not ruled out other possibilities.

"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 San Mateo police department said in a statement.

The family, originally from Kerala, had been living in the US for the past nine years. Anand, a software engineer, and Alice, a senior analyst, had relocated from New Jersey to San Mateo county two years ago.

Described as friendly, hardworking, and devoted parents, the couple was well-liked by both neighbours and colleagues.

According to court records, Anand had filed for divorce in December 2016, but the separation did not go through in court.

San Mateo County's Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) has taken over the case, working alongside the San Mateo County Crime Lab to collect evidence. The bodies have been taken into the custody of the San Mateo County Coroner, who is working to positively identify each individual and notify next of kin.

The case bears an eerie resemblance to a recent case where a wealthy Indian American couple and their teenage daughter were found dead in their $5m mansion in Massachusetts.

In the last month, at least seven Indian American people have been found dead in the US.

(PTI)