Four Apparent Murder Victims Found at House Near Modesto

Sheriff’s deputies investigating an assault report found the bodies of four apparent murder victims at a house in this community north of Modesto early Monday.

The body of one man was found outside the rundown residence when Stanislaus County sheriff’s deputies arrived shortly after 1 a.m. Three more bodies were found inside--two in the kitchen and one in the living room, Lt. Richard Breshears said.

All of the victims were adults--three men and a woman, Breshears said. Their names were not released.

Authorities elsewhere were advised to be on the lookout for several people investigators believe were in the house before the killings, Breshears said.

“We really haven’t got sorted out whether they were responsible for it (the killings) or whether they were there and fled or are hiding, or whatever,” Breshears said.

The lieutenant said early indications were that the killings were not connected to illegal drugs, leaving the motive a mystery.

Deputies on patrol found the bodies when they responded to a call for help telephoned to the sheriff’s office from a neighbor’s home. “A woman came to the door screaming for help and said individuals had come into the house and were attacking people in the house,” Breshears said.

The house in this unincorporated northern San Joaquin County community of 3,800 was described as dilapidated with trash littering the weed-infested front yard. Toys were visible in the yard, but Breshears said no children were found in the house.