South Dakota man Scott Westerhuis killed his wife and four children, then set the house on fire before taking his own life. The remains of the family were found in the debris sifted through by first responders. Charles Mix County law enforcement investigators say Westerhuis carried out what appears to be a murder-suicide .
Preliminary autopsy results in the South Dakota murder-suicide indicate all of the Westerhuis family members were killed by wounds sustained from shotgun shells, according to state Attorney General Marty Jackley. The deaths of Mrs. Nicole Westerhuis and the children, Kailey, Jaeci, Connor, and Michael, have been ruled homicides, the Daily Mail reports.
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The South Dakota murder-suicide remains under investigation. Charles Mix County Sheriff’s Office deputies are currently conducting forensic testing, collecting evidence, and engaging in interviews of individuals who knew Scott Westerhuis and his family.
“We have experienced the tragic loss of an entire family including young children that has affected an entire community,” Jackley said in a media release. “Based on evidence of foul play continuing to be uncovered, law enforcement remains committed to a complete and thorough investigation.”
On September 17, firefighters were called to the Platte area home around 5:30 a.m. The town is located about 110 miles west of Sioux Falls. Platte-Geddes School District Superintendent Joel Bailey told reporters that he was notified about the deaths of the four Westerhuis children late last week. Bailey said he was told the students died in the house fire.
Kailey Westerhuis was in the third grade, Jaeci Westerhuis was a fifth-grader, Connor Westerhuis was in the eighth grade, and Michael Westerhuis was a sophomore. Both Nicole Westerhuis and her husband worked for Mid-Central Educational Cooperative. The education organization was based in Platte and provides language, hearing, and speech services to students in the district where their children attended.
Scott Westerhuis was the business manager for the Mid-Central Educational Cooperative for about 15 years. His wife served as the assistant business manager for the organization for the past eight years. Cooperative director Dan Guericke said both of the staffers were “highly valued employees.”
Scott and Nicole Westerhuis grew up in the Platte area and returned to start a family after they each graduated from Northern State University.
“Scott and his wife grew up here. Their parents were here. They came back to raise their children here,” Guericke added. “They were involved with coaching their teams, worked with their youth groups at church. They were very involved with their children.”
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Hundreds of residents attended a memorial vigil honoring the Westerhuis family at the Christian Reformed Church, reports Keloland .
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