Murphys, CA…A Murphys man identified as Phillip Marshall (54) took the life of his two juvenile children before taking his own life in an apparent murder-suicide. On February 2, 2013 at 3:10 pm Calaveras Sheriff’s deputies were called to a residence on the 1200 block of Sandalwood Drive in the Forest Meadows subdivision, Murphys, for a suspicious circumstance/welfare check. The reporting parties, who are friends of the two victims, told investigators that they had not heard from the victims since Thursday, January 31, 2013. On February 2nd they went to the Marshall’s family residence looking for the victims. While at the front door of the house they were able to see inside and saw Phillip Marshall lying on the floor in a pool of blood. They called the sheriff’s office to report what they saw.

Upon arrival of the initial responding deputies they observed the man described by the reporting parties. The deputies entered the home and found the two deceased victims lying on a couch with apparent gunshot wounds. They also discovered the family dog deceased in a bedroom. The two victims were identified as 17 year old Alex Marshall and 14 year old Macaila Marshall. A preliminary examination of the deceased showed that all three suffered from single gunshot wounds to the head, the weapon being a handgun. The dog had also been shot. A post-mortem examination will be conducted at a later date to determine the actual cause of death of the victims and of Phillip Marshall.

The mother of the two victims and estranged wife of Phillip Marshall, Sean Marshall, was out of the country at the time of the incident. She was located and notified of the deaths.

Both victims were students at Bret Harte High School in Angels Camp. Additional details in the investigation will be provided as they develop. The reason for the murder-suicide is unknown at this time.