Family Slaying Suspect Turns Himself In

ByABC News
July 9, 2003, 11:21 AM

July 9 -- An elementary school vice principal sought in connection with the shooting deaths of five family members turned himself in to police in Elizabeth City, N.C., police said.

Brothers' estranged wife, mother-in-law and three young children were found shot to death in their Bakersfield, Calif., home Tuesday morning.

Brothers, 41, walked into the Elizabeth City police department with his mother and sister on Tuesday night, said Sgt. Rick Tureza. He was not under arrest and had not been charged, the sergeant said.

"He's voluntarily here," said Tureza, adding that Elizabeth City police were waiting for officers from other jurisdictions to arrive.

Police had been called to the Bakersfield home early Tuesday by a family friend who had gone to check on the family.

The bodies of the mother and her three children were found in a bedroom; thegrandmother was in another room.

They appeared to have died from multiple gunshots.

The victims were identified by the Kern County coroner as Joanie Harper, 39; Harper's three children, Marques Harper, 4, Lindsey Harper, 23 months, and Marshall Harper, 1½ months; and Harper's mother, Earnestine Harper, 70.

Police described Brothers and Harper as married but separated. The two were seeking an annulment, but it was unclear Tuesday whether a judge had approved it.

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

"There have been strong odors coming from the home. The bodies were found tohave been significantly decomposed," said Camden County Prosecutor Vince Sarubbi.

Neighbors said they regularly heard Brothers screaming at the children.

"He's listed as a possible suspect," Capt. Neil Mahan of the Bakersfield Police Department told Good Morning America today.

"There's a variety of information in this investigation that we're not releasing much of, but there's sources from witnesses, there is crime scene information, there's prior behavior information," Mahan said.

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