2 dead in Independence Twp. murder-suicide, police say

Oakland County Sheriff's Deputies are investigating a possible murder-suicide in Independence Township, officials said.

Authorities said deputies and township firefighters were called at about 4 p.m. Thursday to a home in the 9000 block of Syracuse Avenue near Whipple Lake and Dartmouth roads in the township.

A woman called police to report she looked through a kitchen door wall of the home and saw her brother-in-law lying on the floor and covered with blood, according to police.

Deputies arrived and found the sliding glass door was unlocked and entered the home, they said.

Police found the bodies of a man and a woman on the kitchen floor, officials said. Deputies also saw a large amount of dried blood and gunshot wounds on the two bodies.

Police also found a firearm underneath the man's left arm, they said.

Deputies searched the home but found no other occupants, according to authorities.

The officers spoke to the woman who called 911 and she told them the victims were her 65-year-old sister and 69-year-old brother-in-law. She said they were scheduled to meet earlier in the day to discuss a relative's estate, but the couple never answered her phone calls.

cramirez@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @CharlesERamirez