Man killed sister, 77-year-old father then himself before Texas house fire, police say
A 53-year-old man who had been living with his 77-year-old father killed his father and his 51-year-old sister before a fire erupted in a Carrollton home last weekend, police said Tuesday.
Carrollton police on Tuesday released the names of the family members, whose bodies were found by firefighters when they responded to a Saturday house fire at 3915 Alto Ave.
The 77-year-old man was William Roy Singer Jr., and his 51-year-old daughter was Cheri Ann Singer, according to Carrollton police. The two died from “trauma,” and authorities were still waiting on autopsy results.
Police believe they were killed by 53-year-old William Randolph Singer, who died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his head.
William Roy Singer Jr. and his 53-year-old son lived at the home where firefighters responded to the fire. Cheri Ann Singer, who was a teacher at Holy Covenant Early Childhood Development Program, lived nearby in Carrollton.
Police have not released a motive for the double murder-suicide.
One neighbor told WFAA-TV that he spoke to the son a few days before the killings to ask him about his mother, who recently had a stroke and was in the hospital.
“At the end of the conversation, he said you have to go out and live life because you never know what happens and he said you can go 20 or 30 years without being happy, and I said, “Yes, I will pray for your mom,’ and I left,” the neighbor said.
Carrollton police said they had never responded to any other calls at the home and they are trying to determine what happened leading up to the killings.
The three family members are believed to have died before the fire spread, authorities said.
Officials at Holy Covenant Early Childhood Development Program have scheduled a special gathering at 2 p.m. Thursday in memory of Cheri Ann Singer for the children, families and staff of the program.
“She was an incredible teacher and co-worker. Words cannot express how devastated we all are and how much she will be missed. May light shine perpetually on Ms. Singer,” an ECDP Facebook post reads. “Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends and all whose lives were made better simply because she was a part of it.”
