3 Dead In Apparent Murder-Suicide In Apple Valley
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A 5-year-old girl and her parents were found dead in which appears to have been a murder-suicide committed possibly weeks ago in Apple Valley.
The three bodies were discovered Saturday on Ramsdell Drive. A neighbor identified the people involved as David Crowley, Komel Crowley and their 5-year-old daughter.
It's not clear how long the Crowley family had been gone. Their next-door neighbor, Colin Prothnow, had assumed they were on a long holiday. He'd even cleared their driveway with a snow blower twice.
However, when he spotted unopened Christmas gifts by the door, he peeked in the window Saturday afternoon. Prothnow said that, through the window, he saw Crowley, who is listed as a veteran, nearby his wife and their daughter.
One neighbor said they were the picture perfect family.
David's Facebook page shows he is a filmmaker. (Here is a clip of his work.) Komel had her own website as a dietitian. Their daughter was described as a sweet and gifted child.
Investigators found a firearm at the scene and have determined gunshot wounds to be the cause of death. Police are not saying how long they think they've been inside the home.
Police spent several hours in Apple Valley Saturday gathering evidence for the investigation.
For people who live nearby, seeing the police presence Saturday was unnerving.
"I was shocked, and I've never seen anything like this in Apple Valley before," one neighbor said.
Authorities said there is no threat to public safety and the incident remains under investigation. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the Dakota County Sheriff's Office are assisting the Apple Valley Police Department with the investigation.