19-Year-Old Man Charged After 2 Children, Mother Killed in ‘Horrific’ Crime

19-Year-Old Man Charged After 2 Children, Mother Killed in ‘Horrific’ Crime
(Scott Barbour/Getty Images)
Janita Kan
7/15/2018
Updated:
7/15/2018

A 19-year-old man has been arrested and charged after a mother and two children were found dead in their Perth home on July 15.

Police were initially called to a convenience store in Ellenbrook around 1:30 a.m. after a man requested their presence. Upon arrival, police made inquiries which lead them to a nearby home where they discovered the bodies of an 8-year-old boy, a 15-year-old girl, and their 48-year-old mother, according to a statement.

A 19-year-old man who also resided at the home was subsequently taken into custody to assist with police inquiries. He was charged later that day with three counts of murder as a result of the investigation into the deaths.

WA Police Assistant Commissioner Paul Steel told reporters at a press conference on July 15 that they located two deceased people inside the home and a female victim believed to be the 15-year-old daughter in the rear yard with critical injuries.

Unfortunately, the injured teenage girl died en route to the Royal Perth Hospital.

“This is a terrible tragedy for the family involved, for their extended family and for those first responders who were forced to attend what was a horrific crime scene,” Steel said during the press conference.

“It’s a crime which will send shockwaves throughout the community of Western Australia.

“A senior homicide squad investigating officer said to me it is potentially the most horrific crime scene that he has ever been called to.”

Limited details have been released about the crime as homicide detectives work tirelessly to piece together the events of the tragedy.

Steel said WA police are applying all resources that they can to “get to the bottom of what’s happened here.”

The names of the victims have not been released. The suspect has been identified as Teancum Vernon Peterson-Crofts and is believed to be related to the victims. He is currently being held at a psychiatric facility.

He appeared before the Midland Magistrates Court on July 16 and is scheduled to appear at the Stirling Gardens Magistrates Court next week.

Neighbours told the ABC that they heard yelling and screaming coming from the house before police arrived at the scene.

“I just heard a lot of screaming and yelling and a bit of fighting, and the cops flew past here and headed up this way,” Matthew Schreck who lives around the corner from the house told the news broadcaster.

“It was real loud yelling and screaming. It sounded pretty bad. It sounded like a man.”

From NTD.tv