Father Kills 2 Children, Shoots Self, Police Say

A 35-year-old man distraught over losing custody of his two young children Thursday killed them later in the day before turning a gun on himself, investigators said.

Orange County sheriff’s deputies found a seriously injured David Dean Von Haden and the blood-soaked bodies of his two children shortly before 6 p.m. on a bed in the house he had shared with them and their mother. But investigators said they were unable to immediately determine how the children died because there was so much blood on the bodies.

“It’s not obvious where the blood came from,” Sheriff’s Lt. Ron Wilkerson said.

Wilkerson said Von Haden had lost custody of the two children--a 2-year-old girl and 4-year-old boy, neither of whom was immediately identified--in a court hearing earlier Thursday. Before that, Von Haden and his estranged wife, Laurie Von Haden, 33, had shared custody, Wilkerson said.

Laurie Von Haden was also given rights to the family’s home, , where the bodies were found, Wilkerson said.

Later, she discovered that her husband had picked up the children from a baby-sitter’s house, Wilkerson said.

“There was a conversation he had, we’re unsure with whom, [in which he said] he was discontented and interested in taking some kind of action,” Wilkerson said. “There were a number of people involved, and we’re not sure what track this situation took before it got to us.”

Laurie Von Haden then alerted sheriff’s deputies that she thought her husband might harm the children, Wilkerson said.

The deputies met her at the three-bedroom white stucco home shortly before 6 p.m. and broke in when no one responded to their knocks, Wilkerson said.

In addition to the bodies of the children, deputies discovered that David Von Haden apparently had shot himself in the chest with a revolver found on the floor near a bed. He was drifting in and out of consciousness when police arrived, the lieutenant said.

Laurie Von Haden, who had been living with her mother, waited outside while deputies searched the home, Wilkerson said.

David Von Haden remained at Western Medical Center in Santa Ana on Thursday night. Police said they did not know his condition, and the hospital would release no information on him.

If he recovers, he will be arrested on suspicion of murder in the deaths of his children, deputies said.