An autopsy report in Baldwin County, Alabama, has confirmed that a family of four died from a murder-suicide. Investigators believe 44-year-old Kenny Smith shot and killed himself after murdering his 41-year-old wife, Larrica Gaines Smith, and their two children, 15-year-old Kristian and 11-year-old Kensley.
What happened when officers responded to the Alabama home where a family of four was found dead?
The family was found dead inside their home in Daphne, Alabama, on Thursday. Police said they found the bodies after responding to the home for a welfare check early in the morning. According to police, officers forced their way into the home because nobody answered when they arrived at the scene. Along with the bodies, police said they found a handgun inside the home.
“Inside the residence, the children’s phones were ringing. So, you know, that’s their friends trying to figure out what’s going on,” Baldwin County Sheriff Anthony Lowery said, per WKRG.
Following the autopsy report, investigators are now looking through the family’s phones and computers to find any information about what led to the tragedy, WKRG reported.
How is the community responding after a family of four was found dead in an Alabama home?
The community in Daphne, Alabama, is expressing deep grief after the tragedy of the Smith family, which lived in the neighborhood for more than 20 years. Members of City Hope Church in Daphne are among the neighbors who are devastated by the tragedy.
“This has shaken us deeply, affecting countless people within our church and our community,” the church wrote in a statement, per WKRG. “At this time, details are limited, but we know this news is painful and unsettling for so many.”
The community is also sharing many kind words about the family.
“That family was the salt of the earth,” one of the neighbors, Matt Russell, told WKRG. “A fun-loving family. It is just a very, very tragic feeling. To say I’m in shock, yes, I’m still in shock.”
