A Malaysian-born couple and their three-year-old son were found dead in their London flat on Tuesday (Oct 6), reported the BBC.
Poorna Kaameshwari Sivaraj, 36, and her son Kailash Kuha Raj were found dead at the scene, with Scotland Yard believing that both had been dead for some time, the BBC said.
Kailash’s father Kuha Raj Sithamparanathan, 42, was believed to have fatally injured himself when officers forced entry at the Golden Mile House on Clayponds Lane, Brentford.
The BBC reported that he was found with stab wounds, and although medics treated him on the spot, he died soon after.
Scotland Yard said officers initially received a phone call on Sunday (Oct 4) from a family member raising concerns about the welfare of Poorna, who was last seen with her son on Sept 21.
Officers went to the flat several times early on Monday (Oct 5) but did not receive a response.
After speaking to neighbours, the officers decided to force entry just after midnight on Tuesday, reported the BBC.
Lead investigator Detective Chief Insp Simon Harding said the case was being treated as a murder investigation.
“We know the family often walked their dog, a poodle crossbreed, in and around the local area and I would ask anyone who saw them at any time in the last month to contact police so we can begin to build a full picture of their lives,” he was quoted as saying.
One media reported that the family dog, a Cockapoo, was also believed to have been killed.
According to The Sun UK, police have not ruled out the possibility that it is a case of murder-suicide.
The report also said that police were not looking for anyone else in connection with the deaths.
The tabloid newspaper also quoted neighbours as saying they could hear the couple arguing in recent months during the lockdown caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
It quoted one resident, Jamila, saying that things got really bad between them during the lockdown.
“They are one of the few couples with a young child in our block and you could hear the screaming at each other, sometimes for very long periods.”
Meanwhile, neighbour Sheri Diba said the family were “very friendly” and that she used to regularly see them taking their dog for walks.
“I’ve always seen them in the lift. They were very friendly. They said ‘Hi, how are you?’ I always saw them together going for walks. I feel really bad (hearing the news) because they were very friendly, nice people,” she said.
Diba, who had lived in the building for seven years, said she had not seen the family for a number of months, according to the BBC.
The couple tied the knot in Kuala Lumpur in 2015.