A Michigan mother-of-two and her children were found dead behind an industrial building in Bay County, 100 miles north of where they lived, with a handgun at the scene, on Tuesday.
The body of Nikita Landrum, 31, was identified on Wednesday, along with those of her 2-year-old son, Dariel Walker, II, and her 3-year-old daughter, Mikayla Walker.
The deaths of the three Oakland County residents is being investigated as a possible murder-suicide, the Oakland Press reported.
The father of the children, Dariel Walker, Sr, who also lives in the Detroit area, has been arrested twice on domestic violence charges against Landrum, according to court records.
It’s not clear how long the three had been dead before they were found.
A Michigan mother-of-two and her children were found fatally shot in Bay County, 100 miles north of where they lived, on Tuesday; The body of Nikita Landrum, 31, was identified on Wednesday, along with those of her 2-year-old son, Dariel Walker, II (right), and her 3-year-old daughter, Mikayla Walker (left)
Members of Landrum’s community were shocked at the idea that she had killed her children, and then herself.
‘She always seemed like a pleasant person,’ neighbor Betsie Jackson told WDIV Channel 4 news.
‘I’m shocked,’ she said. ‘Because from appearances, you would never think something like that was going on.’
Landrum had filed a complaint against the children’s father on Friday claiming he had violated their joint custody agreement.
The Michigan mother-of-two and her children were found dead near a black Lincoln sedan behind an industrial building in Bay County, 100 miles north of where they lived
Dariel Walker, Sr, is seen here with Walker, Jr, in a photo shared to social media
In 2016, Walker, Sr, pleaded no contest to a charge of domestic violence against Landrum, and received a suspended sentence of 90 days in jail, probation and was ordered to have no contact with Landrum.
That’s apparently when Landrum moved out of the home they had previously shared in the Detrioit suburb of Farmington Hills on Forestville Street.
Prior to that, Walker, Sr, was arrested on a domestic violence charge against Landrum in 2014. That time, he pleaded no contest to a reduced charge of disorderly person, and was placed on probation for six months.
He was also order to have no contact with Landrum at that time, but that order was later amended at the now deceased mother’s request to allow contact, so long as no assaultive or threatening behavior took place, the Oakland Press reported.
Mikayla (left) and Dariel, Jr (right), are seen here in a photo shared to social media
Dariel, Jr (left) and Mikayla (right) are seen here in photos shared to social media
At one point, both Landrum and Walker, Sr, had mutual protective orders against each other.
After Landrum moved out in 2016, Walker, Sr, filed for joint custody of their children, which was awarded.
Landrum’s court filing from Friday was apparently prompted by Walker, Sr, keeping the children overnight on February 14 rather than returning them to their mother at the agreed upon time, the press reported.
Walker, Sr (center), is seen here with his two children, Mikayla (left) and Dariel, Jr (right)
Oak Park Police and Michigan State Police are investigating the deaths at this time.
The Bay County Medical Examiner’s Office could not be reached for an update on Thursday.
Police reportedly went to a house in Oak Park on Monday to check on the mother and children, but they weren’t there.
The bodies were found at 8.00 am Eastern at the Bay County drain commission facility. Autopsies were performed on Wednesday
Bay County Sheriff Troy Cunningham said on Thursday that whether the deaths of Landrum, Dariel, Jr, and Mikayla were the result of a murder-suicide would not be confirmed until at least Friday, and possibly later.
Authorities said Landrum may have been in the middle of going through a custody battle with Walker, Sr.
‘It’s tragic,’ Cunningham said. ‘Something like this is so horrific. It’s just beyond comprehension.’
The National Domestic Violence Hotline can be reached at 1-800-799-7233, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
For confidential support call the National Suicide Prevention Line on 1-800-273-8255
The bodies were found at 8.00 am Eastern at the Bay County drain commission facility