Father and Four Children Found Dead in Home, Murder-Suicide Possible

Four children and their father were all found dead on Monday in their home.

The father, Pedro Rodriguez, was found dead with a rope around his neck and hanging and his four children were all found in a bed together.

The four children ranged in age from one to nine years old. There was one boy of three years, and three girls of one, four, and nine. It is not yet known what the cause of death was for the children. The children had a mother who was known to live with them and Rodriguez, but she has not been located.

There is some worry surrounding the whereabouts of the mother, Daysi Benitez, as the fate of the rest of her family was discovered.

The police have said that they currently have no suspects in the case and that the possibility of Rodriguez being the killer is being examined. That seems to be the most likely situation as the scene looked to be a murder suicide type of crime.

Neighbors and friends are very shocked to see what has happened to Rodriguez and his four children. "Everyone in the neighborhood is shocked," said Nathanial Harris, a neighbor to the family. Rodriguez seemed to most to be a very nice man who cared a lot about his family and wife. "He just seemed to really care about his children, so you can't fathom something like this would happen," said Rebecca Reckley, also a neighbor of the family.

Rodriguez and Benitez moved to the United States from El Salvador some time ago. The couple had owned their home for almost two years in the normally peaceful town of Frederick, Maryland.

Frederick is not accustomed to such heinous crime. "This is a nice area," said Nathanial Harris.

More news should be coming in about this crime as autopsy information is provided and the police continue to investigate the scene and search for Benitez, who is still missing.

Cited:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17809935/

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17805248/