Three adults, three dogs found killed inside Tarpon Springs home
TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. (FOX 13) - Three adults and three small-breed dogs were found killed inside a Tarpon Springs home on New Year's Day, police said, but they have not yet named a suspect.
Police said they responded to a call for a welfare check just after noon Tuesday and came across the scene inside a home at 1954 Juanita Way, which is part of a retirement community.
Investigators said the bodies were in a state of "advanced decomposition" and an autopsy will be done on Thursday to determine how long they were dead and the cause of their deaths.
Neighbors said there was something suspicious about the house, but they weren't expecting this.
"Looks like somebody's digging a grave...then we found out there's people murdered in there," neighbor Donna Huffman said of the ditch dug in front of the home.
Detectives said there isn’t any danger to the public and they don't believe this was a random crime. The suspect or suspects are most likely known to the victims, police said, although there are no named suspects.
"This is a quiet neighborhood everybody seems to know everybody," said neighbor Bill Hibbs. "I've been by that house at least 6 times in the last week and didn't know anything."
Investigators were seen exiting and entering the home throughout Wednesday morning. They described the scene inside the home as "extensive."
The victims' identities will be released after the autopsies are complete.
Neighbors tell FOX 13 they are both shocked and nervous about the discovery.
“You would think that somebody would know something or somebody wasn’t showing up,” said Bill Hibbs, who lives in the neighborhood. “I’ve been by that house at least six times in the last week. I don’t know anything about anything. It’s really shocking.”