CYPRESS, Texas – A house fire led to the discovery of three people believed to have been murdered inside a Cypress home.
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office says the bodies of a mother, her son, and his girlfriend were found inside the home off Plains River Drive in the Cypress Mill Park Community.
Investigators believe they were already dead before the fire started.
As of right now, investigators aren’t saying how they believe the three people died, only saying they’re waiting on their autopsy results.
Detectives are hoping surveillance video in the area and evidence from the home will provide answers.
A red Corvette towed away from the home is now an area of interest for detectives.
It was found in the driveway of the home where the three were believed to have been killed before their house was set on fire.
“We are willing to say that, these individuals looked like they were deceased before the fire was started. So this is definitely a homicide, not accidental deaths due to due to fire and smoke inhalation,” said Sgt. Michael Ritchie with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.
Detectives say the son recently bought the Corvette. The previous owner is in the clear, but investigators believe the last person in the car wasn’t the son.
A neighbor told KPRC 2 Reporter Corley Peel she heard a car door slam, other neighbors said they didn’t hear anything before the home was engulfed in flames.
“This has been a little unusual,” one neighbor said.
Detectives believe one person was found on the first floor and the other two were found upstairs. All three had trauma to their bodies.
Sgt. Ritchie believes the suspect ran out of the back of the home. KPRC 2 saw a crime scene investigator placing evidence markers near a fence at a nearby park behind the home.
Sgt. Ritchie says accelerant was used to set the home on fire. He says setting a fire after a homicide is a common tactic killers use to cover their tracks.
The fire makes it more difficult, but detectives still believe there is enough evidence left at the scene.
“It’s difficult to say this early in the investigation, but I do believe there’s still enough evidence. As you can see, you know, the house behind me, it’s still intact. It wasn’t completely burned down. Not everything inside was destroyed. So we have been able to recover some evidence,” Ritchie said.
Detectives are hoping the evidence in the red Corvette can lead them to the driver.
Investigators say its unclear if there is one suspect or multiple suspects.
The names of the people found inside the home have not been released at this time.
Those with any information are urged to contact the Harris County Sheriff’s Office