Autopsies have confirmed that a mother and baby daughter found dead Saturday at their Franklin, NH, home were murdered. Officials say the suspect, the child’s father, committed suicide on the banks of the Merrimack River after shooting the family in their Elkins Street home.
Investigators say Jamie Bell, 42, shot and killed his partner, Nicole Hughes, 35, and their one-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Ariella Bell. Hughes’ five-year-old daughter, from a previous relationship, was also shot in the arm and taken to Boston Children’s Hospital. She is expected to survive.
The New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office said first responders reported gunshots in the area of 124 Elkins Street around 12:15 p.m. Saturday.
Bell was identified as a suspect and investigators began a 5-hour manhunt before finding his body with a self-inflicted cut to his neck.
Person of Interest in ‘Suspicious’ Deaths in Franklin, NH Found Dead, AG Office Says
The AG’s office said there was no evidence another suspect was involved in the fatal shooting. A motive was not immediately specified.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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