Gnadenhutten, Ohio — Authorities have identified three people, including a 22-month-old toddler and two grandparents, who were found dead from gunshot wounds inside an Ohio home after a series of mysterious 911 calls led deputies to the property.
Melissa E. Campbell, 51, Gale F. Sanders, 67, and 22-month-old Kozzar J. Lotut were discovered inside a home in the Village of Gnadenhutten on Wednesday, October 21, according to information released by the Tuscarawas County Sheriff’s Office and the county coroner.
Investigators are examining the circumstances surrounding the deaths, including a series of disconnected emergency calls in which a dispatcher reportedly heard a voice softly saying the word “help.”
Three Victims Identified After Ohio Home Discovery
The Tuscarawas County Coroner’s Office identified the victims after the sheriff’s office initially announced that three people had been found dead at a residence in Gnadenhutten.
All three victims died from gunshot wounds, according to the coroner’s office.
Campbell and Sanders were the toddler’s grandparents and frequently helped care for him because of his medical disabilities, Cleveland 19 reported.
Authorities have not released a complete account of what happened inside the home before the victims were discovered. The investigation remains ongoing as officials work to establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
The identities of the victims have brought further attention to the case, particularly because a young child was among those found inside the residence.
Mysterious 911 Calls Reportedly Included a Faint Cry for Help
The investigation began after emergency dispatchers received a hang-up 911 call shortly after 4 a.m. on October 21.
According to the Tuscarawas County Sheriff’s Office, the call was disconnected so quickly that dispatchers were initially unable to determine the caller’s location.
Dispatchers repeatedly attempted to contact the caller. During one of those attempts, they reportedly heard what sounded like a voice softly saying the word “help.”
The unusual calls prompted authorities to continue working to identify the phone’s location and determine whether someone needed emergency assistance.
Investigators later learned from the owner of the phone number that the device had been loaned to another person, according to the sheriff’s office statement.
That information helped authorities narrow their search as they investigated several possible locations.
How Police Traced the Calls to the Home
After examining several possible locations, authorities eventually traced the phone to the Gnadenhutten residence where the three victims were found.
A family member was at the scene and allowed police to enter the home, according to the sheriff’s office account. Once inside, authorities discovered the bodies.
The sequence of events raised questions about who made the emergency calls, what the caller was experiencing and whether the calls were connected to the deaths. Officials have not publicly answered all those questions.
The sheriff’s office has not released a complete timeline of the events inside the home, and the investigation is continuing.
Sheriff Says Evidence Points to Possible Murder-Suicide
The Tuscarawas County sheriff has said that the evidence currently points to a possible murder-suicide.
Authorities also recovered a firearm next to one of the deceased, according to the report. The sheriff did not provide further details about the weapon or specify publicly how investigators believe it was involved in the deaths.
The suspected murder-suicide remains an investigative assessment rather than a final determination of the circumstances surrounding each death. Officials have not released further details identifying a suspected shooter or explaining the events that preceded the shooting.
Autopsies Expected to Help Establish the Circumstances
The Tuscarawas County Coroner’s Office told that official determinations of the causes and manners of death were pending autopsies at the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Those examinations are expected to help establish additional details about the deaths as investigators continue reviewing the evidence.
Authorities have not announced further findings from the autopsies or provided a final conclusion about the sequence of events. The investigation remains active, and officials may release additional information as more evidence becomes available.
Investigation Continues in Tuscarawas County
The deaths of Campbell, Sanders and Lotut have left investigators working to piece together the circumstances behind the shooting and the unusual emergency calls that preceded the discovery.
The softly spoken request for “help” remains one of the most striking details disclosed in the case, although authorities have not confirmed who spoke during the calls or what prompted them.
For now, the sheriff’s office and coroner’s office are continuing their work to establish what happened inside the home.
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