Toddler, Grandparents Found Dead in Ohio Home After Mystery 911 Call
Authorities identified the victims after a cryptic call where dispatchers heard a faint plea for help, leading them to the scene where a firearm was recovered.
A 22-month-old toddler and his two grandparents were found shot dead in an Ohio home on Wednesday, authorities announced Thursday. The victims have been identified as 22-month-old Kozzar J. Lotut, Melissa E. Campbell, 51, and Gale F. Sanders, 67.
The discovery followed a perplexing 911 call received by emergency dispatchers shortly after 4 a.m. The call disconnected abruptly, and subsequent attempts to call back yielded only a faint whispered word: "help."
Investigators traced the call to a property in Gnadenhutten, a village in Tuscarawas County. Upon arrival, law enforcement was granted entry to the home by a family member already present. Inside, they discovered the bodies of the three victims, all of whom had sustained gunshot wounds.
A firearm was recovered at the scene, found beside one of the bodies. The Tuscarawas County Sheriff's Office indicated that evidence gathered thus far points toward a murder-suicide scenario, although the specific sequence of events and the identity of the shooter remain under active investigation.
Campbell and Sanders were identified as Kozzar's grandparents. The coroner's office noted that the grandparents frequently assisted in caring for the toddler, who had medical disabilities.
Officials are working to determine when the shootings occurred relative to the initial 911 call and whether the plea for help originated from one of the deceased individuals. The investigation is ongoing as authorities piece together the circumstances of the tragedy that has shaken the small rural community of Gnadenhutten.