On the 13th of August, MSP Troopers found four bodies inside a home in Garfield Township. A couple and their two children, dead in what authorities are calling a murder-suicide. But as the investigation unfolds, it seems there are more questions than answers.

According to the Michigan State Police  , they are currently looking into what type of history Child Protective Services may have had with the family. Media sources claim that there was definitely a referral made to the agency regarding the family in the past, but very little information has been released to the public.

Police are saying that the mother, 34-year-old Tamisha Mendenhall, was the last one alive in the home. She was found with a self-inflicted wound in her thigh which severed her femoral artery and caused her to bleed out. 54-year-old Jeffrey Mendenhall was found lying in the hallway, a bunch of flowers clasped in his hand. Apparently he died before her, but authorities are not certain if he took his own life, or if his wife helped him.

Could this tragedy have been prevented if CPS stepped in earlier?

Additionally, there is the issue of the children. The couple’s two little children, 6-year-old Thomas and 3-year-old Olivia, were both found dead as well. Police have shared that while there were no physical injuries on the children’s bodies, empty prescription medication bottles were found, along with a tank of helium in the children’s room.

At this point authorities are assuming that one or both of the parents killed the children and then themselves. A note found in the home states, among other things, that “the children are innocent.” Police say that both Mendenhall’s had documented histories of mental illness and struggled with suicidal behavior. So did CPS know about their troubled lives, and if so, what steps had they taken to assist the children?

As of now, no one knows. Certain media sources have submitted requests for information under the freedom of information act, but have been denied. CPS has refused to make any comment about the Mendenhall’s and has refused to release any information about the family’s case.

At this point, no one knows what, if anything, could have been done to prevent this tragedy. Did CPS know about the parent’s suicidal tendencies? Had they tried to step in, provide assistance, or a referral for help? But they are tight-lipped as ever, and it may be a while before we know if the Mendenhall children could have been saved these tragic deaths or not.