Prosecutors in Kielce are still investigating the circumstances of the deaths of a four-person family from the Pod Dalnią housing estate. Preliminary autopsy results are expected this week, and Radio Eska, citing unofficial findings, has reported on possible motives.
What prosecutors said
The incident took place on Tuesday, 13 October, in a block of flats on Jagiełły Street. As reported by TVP3 Kielce, police received a report just after 7 a.m. about a man’s body outside the building, next to the balcony of one of the flats. The bodies of three more people were found inside the flat.
According to the prosecutors’ preliminary findings, they were members of one family: a 55-year-old man, his 52-year-old wife and their sons, aged 18 and 16. The case is being handled by the Kielce-Zachód District Prosecutor’s Office. We reported on the first hours of the case in our article on the tragedy in the block on the Pod Dalnią estate.
Daniel Prokopowicz, spokesman for the Regional Prosecutor’s Office in Kielce, said that very preliminary findings point to a so-called extended suicide, but investigators are not ruling out other versions. He also said that no member of the family had a criminal record, there were no criminal proceedings against them, and police had not previously been called to their address.
Autopsies and evidence
The autopsies were carried out on Wednesday, 14 October. The prosecutors initially said preliminary results could be known as early as Thursday, but later announced they would take several days. The prosecutor did not disclose what injuries the family members had or what tool the perpetrator may have used.
Prokopowicz said that traces and items that may be connected to the case were secured during the inspection of the scene and the bodies. However, experts must examine them to establish whether they are really relevant to understanding what happened.
Unofficial findings from Radio Eska
On Monday, 20 October, Radio Eska reported that, according to its unofficial findings, the tragedy was supposedly rooted in the father’s psychological, emotional and financial problems. Earlier, the station had written that neighbours reportedly heard disturbing noises from the flat at around 10 p.m. on Monday. The prosecutors have not confirmed this information. The WP news service, citing the station, also writes about no signs of a struggle in the flat, but this too comes from unofficial sources.
At the time of publication, the prosecutors had not presented a final version of events or given the causes of death of individual people. Because the perpetrator is dead, there is no suspect to be charged; the investigation is meant to establish what happened and rule out the involvement of third parties.
What it means
Full findings on the causes and course of events should be expected once the autopsy results and experts’ opinions are available, which may take longer than the preliminary statements. The prosecutors are not disclosing the family’s identity, and we are not publishing personal data either.
If you are going through a crisis or thinking about taking your own life, call the free numbers 116 123 or 800 70 2222 (Support Centre, available 24 hours a day); in a life-threatening situation, call 112.
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