A small Arizona community is grieving after a mother and her two young children were found dead in what police believe was a murder-suicide in the town of Pima, about an hour southeast of Globe.
Authorities said officers discovered four members of the same family dead inside their home after responding to a call for a medical emergency last week. Investigators believe one family member killed the others before taking their own life.
Family members later identified the victims as 31-year-old Justice Jones and her two children, 8-year-old Tyme and 9-year-old Kyle. Justice’s father, Duane Jones, was also found dead inside the home, as per AZ Family.
According to Justice’s cousin, Breana Flores, police told relatives that Duane Jones was responsible for the killings. “I just hope that all of them… I hope they were asleep, and no one had to see anything happen to the others and didn’t have to experience any type of fear before it happened,” Flores said.
Flores, who lives in Tucson, traveled to Phoenix to help the children’s father make funeral arrangements. She has also set up a GoFundMe campaign to assist with expenses.
Speaking to local media, Flores said the family had no prior concerns about Duane’s mental health. “My family doesn’t know of any mental health concerns with him. We’re assuming so because anyone with a sane mind, this isn’t something that you do,” she said.
Flores added that she found a troubling social media post from Justice the night before her death. “She put a post on Facebook and just said ‘good night’ with the weird slant emoji, so it was evident that something was going on,” she said.
Friends and community members have described the two children as bright and creative. An art teacher who worked with Kyle and Tyme told the family that they were “incredible kids with a bright future.”
The small town of Pima has been left shaken by the tragedy, and neighbors have begun leaving flowers and messages outside the home to honor the victims. Authorities have not released additional details about what led up to the incident, but the investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone struggling with thoughts of self-harm or in need of emotional support is encouraged to reach out for help. The National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available 24 hours a day by calling or texting 988, offering confidential assistance to anyone in crisis or seeking mental health resources.