ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Homemade warning signs were found in an Azalea Park home where the bodies of a mother and her son were discovered Monday evening in what is believed to have been a murder-suicide, according to officials with the Orange County Sheriff's Office.
Deputies and fire rescue crews were called for a hazmat check at the home at 114 Forsyth Road before 5 p.m. Neighbors reported a suspicious odor, which authorities said was the smell of the decomposing bodies. Officials said Leslie McKinley, 47, and her son, 14-year-old Kody Larue, had not been seen in two weeks.
"Deputies arrived, and upon the initial investigation, there was some indications that there may be a hazardous material located in the house. The initial search didn't reveal anything but upon seeing some warning signs that were handprinted throughout the house, the deputies exited the house and called the Fire Department hazardous material team, who have come in and have just released the house. They cleared it of any hazardous materials," Bill Armstrong, the Orange County Sheriff's Office night watch commander, said.
Officials said Larue and McKinley were found dead in a bedroom and it's believed they inhaled chemicals. Deputies described Larue as a murder victim and McKinley as the victim of a suicide.
Armstrong said there is no threat to public safety and while the cause of death has not been released, the deaths are not considered suspicious.
A large law enforcement presence was outside the home at 6 p.m. and most of the street was blocked off.
Check back for updates on this developing story.