A Missouri dad and his two young sons died in a murder-suicide, authorities confirmed after discovering the bodies of the missing trio in an abandoned shack this week.
The bodies of Darrell Peak and his two sons, Mayson, 3, and Kaiden, 4, were discovered Monday inside the structure, not far from where they were last seen in Benton County on Thursday, WDAF-TV reported.
Linemen working on nearby power lines came upon the bodies at about 4:20 p.m., according to the report.
Peak was last seen around 4 p.m. Thursday driving with the children near the family home in Greene County, armed with the pistol he was known to regularly carry, according to the Benton County Sheriff’s Office.
Around 5:30 p.m., that day, a state trooper stopped to check on their disabled vehicle, but Peak refused assistance, according to authorities.
There were two other possible sightings of the father and sons that evening, but the deputies were unable to track them down, authorities said.
The next morning, relatives contacted Greene County Sheriff’s Office to file a missing persons report. They said that Darrell had a history of depression, but insisted that he would never harm his kids, according to police.
On Tuesday, the Benton County Sheriff’s office confirmed the case was a murder-suicide, according to local station KY3.
Investigators told the outlet Peak informed Oklahoma casino employees Wednesday that he was taking money out of an ATM to start a new life with his children.
“All I can say is it’s just devastating,” Benton County Sheriff Eric Knox told WDAF.
“This isn’t something that you normally find. It’s not something that happens in Benton County.”
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