Vice-principal arrested after family found murdered

A junior school vice-principal wanted for questioning in connection with the murder of his estranged wife, mother-in-law and three young children turned himself in to police in North Carolina.

The FBI and law enforcement agencies across the US had been asked to search for Vincent Brothers, 41, after police discovered the bodies on Tuesday in a home in Bakersfield, California.

Bakersfield Police Captain Neil Mahan said Brothers was being held as “a possible suspect” and that police had no other suspects in connection with the shootings.

“That does not mean we are not looking at other people or other motives at this time,” Mr Mahan said. “Mr Brothers is our primary focus at this time. It is important to either confirm or deny that he is involved.”

Brothers’ blue pickup truck was found on Tuesday at an airport bus terminal in Bakersfield. Mr Mahan said the truck had been there since July 2 – four days before the family was last seen.

The victims were identified as Joanie Harper, 39, her three children, Marques Harper, four, Lyndsey Harper, 23 months, and Marshall Harper, 14 months and Harper’s mother, Earnestine Harper, 70.

Joanie Harper and Brothers were granted an annulment in September 2001 and Ms Harper was given sole custody of Marques and Lyndsey, court records show. But police, relatives and friends all said yesterday that they thought Ms Harper and Brothers were still married. It was unclear whether they had remarried.

Brothers is the father of the children and had periodically lived with the family, said Darren Dixon, 22, a nephew of Earnestine Harper.

Police were called to the home on Tuesday morning. The bodies of Joanie Harper and her three children were found in a bedroom. Earnestine Harper was found in another room.

The family was last seen alive on Sunday morning at church.