Investigators have determined the cause of death of a family of four found dead in a Harrow home last month. The OPP described the case as a domestic violence incident that has deeply shaken the small community.
An autopsy began after June 20 – the date Essex County OPP were dispatched to the residence and found the bodies of four family members — concluded that Carly Stannard-Walsh, 41, and her children, 13-year-old Madison and 8-year-old Hunter, died from gunshot wounds.
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In a statement from the OPP on Saturday, the investigation also revealed that Steven Walsh, 42, the children’s father and Carly’s husband, who was also found dead in the house, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Although the investigation is still ongoing, according to the OPP, the “initial investigation” revealed that the family’s death was a case of domestic violence.
“IPV is a serious and widespread problem,” OPP said in Saturday’s press release.
“IPV involves the use of physical, psychological or sexual violence, whether actual or threatened, in an intimate relationship. However, these acts are not always physical in nature and may include emotional and psychological abuse, economic control or coercive control.”
The provincial police believe that there is currently no threat to public safety.
“The OPP encourages anyone experiencing IPV to contact police or their local Ontario Victim Services branch to develop a safety plan,” the news release said Saturday.
Essex County OPP launched an investigation after officers discovered the bodies of four family members on June 20 while responding to a 911 call to check on the welfare of a person at a home in the 1200 block of County Road 13 (Erie Road) in Harrow.
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An audio recording recently obtained by CBC Windsor contains excerpts from an officer’s first conversation with police dispatch that day, in which he describes a man’s death as a “possible suicide.”
“We have what appears to be a male group. Possible suicide with a .45 caliber shotgun, 100 percent,” the officer said in the recording, which was allegedly taken at 1:25 p.m. that day.
“I just need to clear this residence and look for the female group.”
Six minutes later, the officer said, “We have four dead.”
The investigation continues under the direction of the OPP Criminal Investigation Division, with assistance from the OPP Forensic Identification Service, and in collaboration with the Office of the Chief Coroner and the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service.
The funeral for Carly, Madison and Hunter took place on July 2nd in Families First Funeral Home on Dougall Avenue in Windsor attracts hundreds of visitors.
Steven was not included in the family’s funeral arrangements.
A candlelight vigil was held at the Harrow Soccer Complex on 23 June, where members of the mourners laid flowers and gifts and said prayers in memory of the family.
The recent deaths also sparked numerous fundraising efforts in the small town of Harrow and a flood of condolences online.
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Anyone with information regarding this investigation should contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or ontariocrimestoppers.ca.
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