MOUNT HOLLY, N.J. — Police investigating an alert from a local mail carrier discovered the bodies of three elderly individuals inside a southern New Jersey residence on Friday afternoon, authorities said.
Officers with the Mount Holly Township Police Department responded to a home on the unit block of Winding Way, situated close to the Eastampton township line, after the postal worker observed a message taped near the entryway instructing anyone who approached to dial emergency services, according to the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office.
A startling discovery on a daily route
The postal carrier, Dom Clements, told the New York Post that he arrived at the address during his standard rounds and immediately noticed something unusual. The mailbox had been wrapped shut with clear packing tape, and an accompanying message hung taped to the wall next to the entrance.
The message read “9-1-1 Inside” alongside two simple drawings depicting faces with crosses for eyes, Clements said. After knocking and receiving no response from within, he immediately contacted emergency operators.
“I did try knocking and got no answer,” Clements told the New York Post. “And I called immediately afterwards and within, what, five minutes, we had a few squad cars.”
Clements told the outlet he suspected the note was left specifically for him, noting that he was typically the only person who walked up to the front entrance every day.
Investigation underway in Burlington County
Officers entering the residence located three deceased elderly individuals inside. One area resident told the New York Post that officers reported finding a substantial amount of blood at the scene.
Law enforcement officials have not yet publicly identified the victims, explaining that formal identification will wait until investigators notify surviving relatives. The exact causes of death were not immediately clear.
The Burlington County Medical Examiner’s Office was scheduled to conduct autopsies over the weekend to determine how each person died, prosecutors said.
David Babcock, a neighbor who spoke to NBC10, said two brothers and a sister believed to be in their 60s had resided at the property, describing them as quiet people who kept to themselves. Authorities have not confirmed whether the occupants were the individuals found deceased inside.
Another neighbor told the New York Post that she had rarely seen residents leaving the home over the years, though she recalled seeing an unidentified man dressed in all black carry a small bag to the curb on Tuesday before walking away down the street on foot.
No ongoing danger reported
Despite the grim scene, county prosecutors announced that investigators do not believe the incident poses any active hazard or danger to the surrounding community.
Mount Holly Police Chief Clifford Spencer addressed the community in a statement posted to social media, acknowledging the unsettling nature of the deaths and assuring residents that public safety remains the department’s top focus.
“My thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives in this tragic incident,” Spencer stated.
The joint investigation into the circumstances surrounding the three deaths remains active under the direction of the Mount Holly Township Police Department and county prosecutors. Authorities have declined to release additional details pending the completion of autopsy examinations and the notification of next of kin.
