Oakland County Man And Woman Found Dead In Possible Murder-Suicide
SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP (WWJ) - Authorities are investigating a possible murder-suicide along with an arson plot that led to evacuations in an Oakland County neighborhood.
An anonymous caller to the Oakland County Sheriff's office Sunday night told a dispatcher that he had reason to be concerned for the welfare of a Springfield Township resident.
The man said he hadn't heard from the woman since earlier that morning "which he found to be very unusual."
Shortly before 9:30 p.m., deputies arrived at the woman's home, in the 11000 block of Shaffer Road, for a welfare check to find two vehicles parked in the driveway blocking access to the residence.
That's when deputies looked through a window to see two people lying on the floor in a pool of blood.
When they got inside, sheriff's officials said, the deputies smelled gas and spotted several open gas cans along with "ignition sources" staged in an apparent plan to create an explosion or set the house on fire. The natural gas line had been purposely disconnected and left on, officials said, and several kerosene lanterns were left burning.
Deputies shut off the gas, put out the lanterns and worked quickly to evacuate neighboring houses.
Found dead in the home, officials said, were a 64-year-old Springfield Township woman and a 66-year-old Springfield Township man. Officials did not immediately indicate the nature of their relationship or release their names.
A cause of death is under investigation with the help of the Oakland County Medical Examiner's Office. Autopsy results were pending Monday.