Little details on the June 27 murder-suicide on Red Oak Court in Turlock have emerged since Friday, and the Turlock Police Department plans to keep a tight seal on the case until the investigation is over.
“This case is an active investigation, and more evidence must be collected prior to additional information being released,” said Turlock police spokesperson Sgt. Stephen Webb.
According to the Stanislaus County Coroner’s Office, only one of the three victims was able to be identified from fingerprints. The Coroner’s Office identified Rodney Bowman as one of the victims.
Coroners will be checking dental and jaw records to identify the other three victims, which take longer than fingerprints to process, according to the the Coroner’s Office. They hope to have results by the first of next week, but added that one victim may have to be identified through DNA testing, if they cannot be identified through dental records. DNA testing could take six months.
Bowman had changed his name from Radni Babakhan. Property records show that Bowman’s parents Sarkis and Rozmary Babakhan lived in the home, but neither name has been confirmed by the Coroner’s Office.
The cause of death remains unknown at this time, which the Turlock Police Department will be releasing, according to the Coroner’s Office. However, it may be several weeks before that is released.
“The post mortem examinations and pathologist’s reports take several weeks to be compiled,” said Webb. “No final determination by the Coroner’s Office will … be made until the toxicology reports are completed.”
On the night of June 26, a relative of the Babakhan family went to their residence on the 3000 block of Red Oak Court at approximately 10 p.m. because they had not heard from the family in some time. The relative discovered a dead body when they opened the door, and immediately called the Turlock Police Department.
Officers found three more dead in the home and declared the incident a murder-suicide the following morning.
The murder-suicide is currently under investigation by the Turlock Police Department and the Turlock Fire Department is investigating an element of arson involved in the case. The relative who discovered the first victim smelled gas when arriving at the home.
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