Three members of family found dead in Morocco’s Midelt province

Three members of the same family were found dead Wednesday inside their home in the Tonfite commune of Midelt province, with authorities investigating the circumstances surrounding the deaths.

According to preliminary information from local sources, the husband was found hanging by a rope inside the house, while his wife and infant were found with apparent wounds to their necks.

The discovery shocked neighbors and relatives in the community.

Local authorities were alerted after one of the family’s children discovered the bodies inside the home. Royal Moroccan Gendarmerie officers, supported by investigators from the Midelt judicial center, arrived at the scene along with local authorities.

Security officials cordoned off the area and examined the bodies before they were transported to the mortuary of the Midelt Provincial Hospital.

The bodies are due to undergo autopsies on orders from the competent public prosecutor’s office to determine the exact causes of death.

Preliminary inquiries have so far ruled out, according to local sources, the involvement of an outside party. Some sources have pointed to possible previous disputes between the couple, although authorities have not established a motive.

The Tonfite gendarmerie, in coordination with the Midelt judicial center, has opened a judicial investigation under the supervision of the public prosecutor’s office.

Investigators are questioning relatives and acquaintances and gathering evidence to determine what happened and establish any potential criminal responsibility.

The deaths prompted grief and shock among residents of Tonfite, who expressed disbelief that such a violent incident had occurred within a single family.

Investigators continue to conduct field and technical inquiries as they await the results of the autopsies and the findings of the judicial investigation, which are expected to be submitted to the public prosecutor’s office.