Police: Man kills son, 6, self with grills in bedroom

DERRY, N.H. – A man killed his 6-year-old son and himself by placing two charcoal grills in a bedroom and sealing the door shut with duct tape and a blanket, authorities said Tuesday.

Police conducting a welfare check were met with a sign warning of carbon monoxide in the home.

Matthew Edmunds, 39, and son Preston Connor Edmunds were found Monday inside their Derry home, Attorney General Gordon MacDonald said.

Police received a call Monday from Edmunds’ co-worker asking them to check on him, because he had failed to show up for work.

MacDonald said a sign hanging from a living room ceiling fan said police “will find me and my son” in the bedroom and to be aware of “dangerous carbon monoxide levels.” Autopsies confirmed the two were killed by carbon monoxide poisoning.

Authorities are still investigating what led to the deaths. Senior Assistant Attorney Benjamin Agati said Matthew Edmunds was separated from his wife, but he did not know for how long.

“That’s something we’re going to be digging into and trying to find out a little bit more about that helps us answer what his motivations were,” Agati said.