Pennsylvania Family of 4, Including 2 Children, Found Dead Following Apparent Murder-Suicide
Paul Swarner, 35, and Karen Swarner, 32, were found dead in their Hempfield Township home on the morning of Friday, Jan. 24, alongside their "two minor children," according to authorities and Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson.
The children have since been identified as 5-year-old Evelyn and 1-year-old Connor, according to multiple outlets, including The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, CBS affiliate KDKA and ABC affiliate WTAE.
Trooper Steve Limani of the Pennsylvania State Police told reporters in a news conference that police believe Paul shot and killed his wife and two children before killing himself.
Authorities recovered a Ruger .22 from the home, which appeared to be "the firearm that was used," Limani said.
Related: 11-Year-Old Killed in Apparent Murder-Suicide Remembered as 'a Kind, Sweet, and Beautiful Person in Every Way'
According to police, the last person they believe spoke with the family had talked with Karen on the afternoon of Jan. 22 and noticed no "strife" or "fear of endangerment." Paul's parents later attempted to call the family the following day, but didn't hear back. Karen's father then called police at 11:30 p.m.
Limani said the couple was married for about 10 years and appeared to "have the all-American family," before calling the crime "unthinkable" and "unfathomable."
"To be honest with you, I don't have the words to describe how awful it is," he said. "You're talking about your wife, but then a 5-year-old and a 1-year-old. It's just devastating."
After being asked about a motive, Limani confirmed that police are looking for one, but he added that "answers aren't going to be sufficient" for what the family is going through. "We don't have any domestic violence history when it comes to the state police being involved in anything [in] that particular household," he said.
"They seem like they had very successful jobs. Their home was the all-American home. There was toys for the children. It looked like a very loving household with pictures and all the things that you would ever think that you would walk into a home and see," the officer continued.
Related: Woman Praised 'Incredible' Ex-Husband amid Their Divorce in TikTok Video. Weeks Later, They Are Both Dead in a Murder-Suicide
As of Jan. 24, state police were serving a search warrant on the family's home and "going through all of their electronic information" in an effort to find a motive. Limani encouraged family, friends and those with information, to contact state police in Greensburg.
Pennsylvania State Police did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment on Sunday, Jan. 26.
Dick Shawley, who lives in the family's neighborhood, told WTAE that he didn't know the family well but was there if they needed help. He recalled giving the kids Christmas gifts in December.
"They were always jumping around and happy," Shawley told WTAE. "I played Santa over there. And, I'll never get it out of my mind. Such devastation. Such preciousness life."
Per KDKA, the occurrence marks the second murder-suicide in Westmoreland County since December 2024.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
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