Three elderly people were found dead Friday inside a Mount Holly, New Jersey, home after a postal worker discovered a note taped to the front door, the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office reported.
Police officers responded to the unit block of Winding Way near the Eastampton border after receiving a report of suspicious activity. A mail carrier on his route had found clear wrapping tape covering the mailbox and the wall beside the front door.
Postal worker Dom Clements stopped at the property to inspect the tape and saw a handwritten message. I walked up to the house, as usual, to deliver the mail,
Clements told the New York Post.
The mailbox was all taped up with just regular wrapping tape, clear wrapping tape. And I was like,
Oh, that’s weird,
and right next to the door, with the same tape holding it up on the wall. And it said, 911 inside, with two rudimentary drawings of faces.
The sign read 9-1-1 Inside
and featured drawings of two unhappy faces with Xs for eyes. Clements knocked but received no answer. I did try knocking and got no answer. And I called immediately afterwards and within, what, five minutes, we had a few squad cars,
he said.
Clements noted he was the only person who visited the property daily along the route.
The Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office and the Mount Holly Township Police Department launched a joint investigation after securing the scene. Bradshaw and Mount Holly Township Police Chief Clifford Spencer announced the discovery in a joint update on social media.
Chief Clifford Spencer addressed community concerns regarding the incident. I want to reassure our residents that, based on the preliminary investigation, there is no ongoing threat to public safety,
Chief Clifford Spencer said. He added, I want to assure you that the safety and security of our residents remain my highest priority.
The Chief requested public patience while investigators work to determine the circumstances surrounding these deaths. I understand that an incident of this nature is deeply concerning to our community,
he stated.
Neighbor David Babcock told NBC10 that two brothers and a sister, all believed to be in their 60s, lived at the residence. They were very nice. They didn’t bother anybody,
Babcock said.
Authorities have withheld the names of the three decedents pending notification of next of kin.
The Burlington County Medical Examiner’s Office scheduled autopsies for the weekend to determine the cause and manner of death. The medical examiner’s office defines the cause of death as the underlying medical condition that led to the fatality, while the manner of death classifies whether the event was natural, accidental, a homicide, a suicide, or unable to be determined.