The cause of death of the San Francisco family of four has been revealed following the release of autopsy reports, revealing a tragic development to the incident that started last month.
The autopsy reports provided by the San Francisco Chief Medical Examiner's Office noted that the father, 57-year-old Thomas Ocheltree, and his two daughters, who were nine and 12, were shot to death on Oct. 8. It added that the mother, 53-year-old Paula Truong, died by suicide on the same day.
San Francisco Family's Cause of Death Revealed
The family, who had lived in a home at 930 Monterey Blvd. on the city's west side, was originally found dead by Ocheltree's brother while performing a wellness check. That came after he was unable to contact him.
Authorities ruled the deaths of the father and his two daughters as homicides while describing Truong's death as a suicide. They added that Ocheltree and the two young girls were found dead in their respective beds and had gunshot wounds to the chest, according to the San Francisco Gate.
Additionally, the father was found with a pistol "loosely gripped" in his right hand. On the other hand, the mother, who did not have gunshot wounds, was found dead in the garage, and gunshot residue was also collected from her body as evidence.
The San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) did not provide additional details regarding the case or answer questions about whether the deaths are believed to be the result of a murder-suicide.
The reports also revealed that the young girls, Alexandra and Mackenzie, also ingested medications with sedative effects. The former was found to have had diphenhydramine, acetaminophen, and melatonin, while Mackenzie had the same but with added trazodone and buprenorphine, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
A Tragic Development
Furthermore, the reports found that Truong also had trazodone and oxycodone inside her system and some traces of sleep and sedative medications, diphenhydramine, and doxylamine.
The father's brother also told police that he stopped by the house two days before the discovery. When Truong answered the door, she stepped out without inviting him in. The brother noted that his brother's wife told him that Ocheltree was on his way home from a golf tournament in Monterey and had lost his cellphone.
The development comes as the family is believed to have faced an escalating series of financial difficulties over the past few years. Public records and accounts from associates showed that they have a string of failed businesses, the foreclosure of the family home, and a growing list of unpaid debts, as per the San Francisco Standard.
