WILSONBURG, W.Va. — A father and young son are dead following a murder-suicide in Harrison County.
According Harrison County Sheriff Robert Matheny, a 40-year-old Harrison County man shot and killed his 10-year-old son and then took his own life. Their names were not released.
The bodies were discovered at about 7:30 a.m. Monday at a residence on Wilsonburg Road.
Matheny said the father and his son were alone. They were found by another family member who had come to the home.
Matheny told MetroNews it’s rare for a father to kill a young son in a murder-suicide.
“I don’t know in the 38 years that I have in (law enforcement) that I’ve experienced a parent on a child type of crime,” Matheny said.
Deputies worked the crime scene for several hours. Matheny said they’ll continue to look for answers.
“They’ll continue to work on that with the Medical Examiner’s Office over the next several days and try and put it together the best they can,” Matheny said. “Hopefully we can provide some answers for the family and those who were close to the deceased.”
Matheny said his detectives will “work tirelessly” to find answers.
“But there may be some gaps that we’re never able to explain,” Matheny said.