An Army Soldier, His Wife, Their Four Children and Two Cats All Found Dead In Suspected Carbon Monoxide Murder-Suicide

Authorities in Texas are investigating a possible murder-suicide after a family of six was found dead in their home, likely from carbon monoxide poisoning.

“It’s the whole picture. The adults, the children, the pets,” McManus said during a press conference Thursday. “Saying it’s not pretty — there’s no words to describe that.”

On Thursday morning, police responded to a welfare check at a San Antonio home where Army soldier 38-year-old Jared Esquibel Harless lived with his wife and four children. San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said that officers noticed the smell of carbon monoxide that “kind of blew everybody back out the door.” McManus also described a “very cryptic” note with “military jargon” that appeared to warn people from entering his home. This led authorities to check for explosives, though none were found. They ultimately discovered Harless, his 36-year-old wife, their 4-year-old, and 11-month-old sons and their 3-year-old and 1-year-old daughters all deceased inside of their SUV. It is believed that they died sometime on Wednesday. Harless’ wife and children have not publicly been identified, though the Army identified Harless on Friday. The family’s two pet cats were also deceased inside of the vehicle.

According to a statement from the Army, Harless served with the 470th Military Intelligence Brigade.

“Our hearts and prayers go out to the families of the deceased,” a spokeswoman for the MI brigade, Monica Yoas, said in a statement.

While McManus didn’t directly refer to the deaths as a murder-suicide, he did say that they were “not an accident.”