SALT LAKE CTIY (AP) — A
Utah couple and their three children found dead in their home last month
were likely poisoned, their bodies found together in a locked room with
cups next to each of them, and empty bottles of methadone and nighttime
cold medicine in a trash can.
Police in
Springville aren't saying who killed the family or whether one of the
parents might have been involved. Toxicology results have not determined
an exact cause of death, but search warrants obtained Wednesday say the
family was likely poisoned.
Benjamin
and Kristi Strack were in bed, with children ages 11 through 14 lying
around them, tucked in bedding up to their necks, according to the
search warrants. Kristi Strack had a red liquid coming out of her mouth.
Some
of the bodies looked to have been positioned after they died Sept. 27.
They were found by the couple's older son and Kristi Strack's mother,
who said she couldn't believe "she" would do this to the kids but
wouldn't elaborate, police wrote.
Investigators
found empty methadone bottles, 10 empty boxes of nighttime cold
medicine and two boxes of allergy medicine in their garbage, along with a
red liquid substance in Pepsi cups. They also found a pitcher of red
juice, a purple bucket with yellow liquid, a bag of marijuana and other
medications, including sleeping pills.
Springville
police Lt. Dave Caron said Wednesday he couldn't comment on the search
warrant or speculate about the cause of death until results of a
toxicology test come back. That's expected in late November, he said.
"Until I get those, I really don't have anything," he said. "I could come up with all sorts of theories, but it's not helpful."
The search warrant says it wasn't normal for the children to be in their parents' room because they have their own rooms.
Kristi
Strack was last seen alive at 6 a.m. by the older son's girlfriend, who
also lives in the home. The girlfriend went back to sleep after talking
with Kristi Strack, and the house was quiet when the older son and his
girlfriend left the house that afternoon.
When
they returned at 7 p.m. and saw the house was still quiet even though
all the cars were in the driveway, they knocked on the master bedroom
door. When no one answered, the couple called Kristi Strack's mother and
her friend, who helped them force it open.
Authorities have previously said the five did not die violently.The five were identified as Benjamin Strack, 37, his wife, Kristi, 36, and three of their children: Benson, 14, Emery, 12, and Zion, 11.
Little is known about the family. A family spokesman has declined to reveal much and, at a vigil, family members declined comment.
Benjamin
Strack's former boss said he worked off-and-on for six to seven years
at AK Masonry, a bricklaying company, and had borrowed money in the
past. Court records show Benjamin and Kristi Strack pleaded guilty to
misdemeanor forgery charges in 2008 and disorderly conduct the following
year.
Springville is a city of about 30,000 near Provo, about 45 miles south of Salt Lake City.
http://news.yahoo.com/police-deaths-utah-family-5-not-accidental-230406365.html
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