Police are searching for any clues as to why a Pitman, N.J., man apparently murdered his wife and 6-year-old son before committing suicide Tuesday.
Officers responded to a call and discovered the bodies of Francis Adolf, 49, his wife Bonnie Lynn Adolf, 44, and the couple's
6-year-old son Francis Adolf Jr. Tuesday morning, according to NBC Philadelphia.
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Investigators labeled the crime a murder-suicide after finding handwritten and email messages from the father that threatened to harm his family and himself.
There had been no reports of past domestic violence, police said.
"Shocked. Sad. This is my neighborhood. This is my town," Pitman Mayor Russ Johnson III told NBC Philadelphia. "Just very sad for the family."
Johnson's son reportedly attended Memorial Elementary School with Francis Adolf Jr.
"I don't know how you explain to a 7-year-old what could possibly happen," he said. "You've got to do your best as parents but I don't know how I can possibly explain it to my kid — to any of those kids in that school."
The school sent out an email statement about the tragedy to families.
"Everyone here in the district — especially those within the Memorial School community — is heartbroken about the loss of Frankie. We extend our sympathy to all of Frankie's family and friends, and to the wider community of Pitman, on this very sad day," the statement read.
Investigators plan on releasing the manner of death after the autopsies are completed.
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