Officials say a Virginia man, his wife and their two daughters died from gunshot wounds to the head in what has been described as a murder-suicide.
The Stafford County Sheriff's Office said 35-year-old Lance Calvin Buckley; 30-year-old Amy Buckley; five-year-old Claire Buckley; and 17-month-old Abigail Buckley were found dead in their Stafford County home last week.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner released the cause of death to local news organizations on Monday.
Amy and Lance Buckley were found dead with their two young daughters Claire, five, and Abigail, 17 months, on Thursday in a suspected murder suicide. The family is seen above on Halloween
Police discovered the family's bodies on Thursday morning. Mrs Buckley, 30, gave birth to the couple's second child, Abigail, last April
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Authorities say Lance, his wife, Amy, their 5-year-old daughter, and 17-month-old daughter were found dead inside of a home on Thursday
The sheriff's office said in a statement that a man who identified himself as Lance Buckley called 911 Thursday morning and said he wanted to report three murders and a suicide. He then hung up the phone.
The sheriff's office said that when deputies arrived at the scene they found the four bodies in the lower level of the home.
Mr and Mrs Buckley were living with his parents at their rural home of Stafford with their daughters.
His parents were too distraught to speak on Thursday night as were neighbors on the quiet suburban street.
Mr Buckley (above last year with his daughters) went missing 11 days after the birth of his second daughter but was found safe and unharmed more than a week later
The young family were living with Mr Buckley's parents who were too distraught to speak about their deaths on Thursday
Mr and Mrs Buckley welcomed their second child Abigail in April last year, eleven days before Mr Buckley vanished from home.
He became the subject of a missing person's appeal after vanishing while on his way to Howard University where he was studying a PhD in microbiology.
At the time his wife pleaded for his return, describing him as the 'love of her life'.
He was missing for more than a week before being found safely in Maryland.
Police would not give details of how the couple and their children died on Thursday afternoon.
Mr Buckley, 35, was studying a PhD at Howard University when he disappeared last May. His wife appealed for his return (above) at the time
The family were all found dead with their children at the Buckley's family home on Thursday
On Friday, Claire Buckley's kindergarten class at Rockhill Elementary School worked on a memorial book dedicated to their former classmate, schools spokeswoman Sherrie Johnson said to Richmond.com.
She said the book included drawings and photos, calling it a 'proactive way for them to express their feelings and also to remember her at the same time.'
Eighteen students and two staff members also met with grief counselors at the school on Friday, Johnson said. 'We're all coming together in this sad time and working to help classmates and staff through this difficult time.'
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