A murder investigation has been launched after a mother and her two children were found dead at a property in Bedfordshire. The discovery has shaken the local community, with those following the case describing shock at the unfolding events surrounding the deaths of the three family members.
According to the reporting, concern had been growing before the discovery was made. The mother and her two children had not been seen for several days, a gap that ultimately prompted the police response that led officers to the property where the three were found.
The sequence of events has been set out by those close to the case. It was said that yesterday the police were called and carried out some general inquiries, and then decided to force entry to the home after their initial checks, moving to gain access to the address as part of their response.
The location has been described in some detail. According to the account, the property is a very large detached home in a leafy community of Great Denham, which lies on the west of Bedford, an area now at the centre of the police operation following the deaths.
Detectives have indicated that their inquiries are already pointing in a particular direction. According to the reporting, investigators believe they have identified a suspect, while stressing the need to reassure the public and to press ahead with the work of establishing exactly what happened.
As part of that effort, officers have turned to the local community for help. They want to know if anyone heard or saw anything in Carnoustie Drive on Friday or Saturday, and are asking anyone with information to get in touch as they piece together the events surrounding the deaths.
The inquiry has been formally named Operation Snowdrift. Police have also urged people to avoid speculation while the investigation continues, with the identities of those who died expected to be confirmed in due course as the case develops.