Two children, stepfather killed in Arkadelphia

UPDATE:

Police say they will work around the clock to make an arrest in the Thursday night killings of two young girls and their stepfather in Arkadelphia.

Arkansas State Police on Friday afternoon identified the slain family members as Bobby Jean Galbraith, 40, Adiele Crutchfield, 6, and her sister, Marley Crutchfield, 4.

Police say the three bodies were discovered at 1032 S. 11th St. shortly after 8 p.m. Thursday after Galbraith's wife, Anna Galbraith, returned to the residence.

Police also found Galbraith's 6-month-old daughter alive and unharmed in the home.

Autopsies are reportedly being conducted at the state Crime Laboratory to determine the cause and manner of death. The Arkadelphia police report said a firearm was used as a weapon in at least one of the killings and that it happened between 6 p.m. and 8:11 p.m. Thursday.

Col. Stan Witt, director of the state police, ordered investigators to be prepared to "work non-stop" to find whoever is responsible for the killings, police said in a statement.

Anyone with information is asked to contact authorities.

EARLIER:

Authorities in Arkadelphia are investigating three deaths.

City Manager Jimmy Bolt confirmed that three people had died, but he referred all other questions to the Arkadelphia Police Department.

Officials there said no information could be released Friday morning.

State police said the deaths were reported at 8:10 p.m. Thursday at a home on the south side.

The Daily Siftings Herald newspaper of Arkadelphia reports the victims include an adult male and two girls, ages 4 and 6. The newspaper reports the girls' mother returned home Thursday night and found all three dead in the home.

Bolt said he could not confirm the reports that the victims included two children.

"I don't feel comfortable addressing that," he said. "It's an active investigation, and I need to let my officers do their work."

An official at the Clark County coroner's office said the coroner investigated the case "all night" and would not be available to comment until later Friday.

Read tomorrow's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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