An elderly cancer sufferer and his son have been identified as the two men killed in a suspected murder-suicide in Adelaide’s west.
Police officers initially discovered the body of 88-year-old Brian Scherr when they attended his home on Kibby Ave in Glenelg North at about 1.30pm on Tuesday.
Less than 15 hours later, police were called to the same home where they found a 63-year-old man dead inside at 4.10am on Wednesday.
He has been identified as Peter Scherr, Brian’s son who had been staying in his fathers home.
Detectives from the Western District and Major Crime Investigation Branch are treating the incident as a murder-suicide after finding the younger man’s body at the address.
“The investigation is in its early stages and police need to conduct further investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding both deaths,” police said.
A few hours after his father’s body was found, Peter Scherr was seen walking with a woman, understood to be his wife, in the ritzy suburb.
Officers have since removed police tape at the Glenelg home, which has become empty and quiet following the outburst of violence inside on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The seaside suburb is known for its sparkling water, boats, restaurants and high-priced homes.
A large tree and high fence block off much of the frontage from the street but a wide opening shows the entrance to the home with a wired security door.
The blinds are drawn on the single large window at the front of the house where officers would have gathered before entering the home.
Two chairs were seen out the front of the home along with a matching side table.
The neat home features limited greenery out the front except for two urns with plants inside.
With an average price for a property in the area sitting at $1 million, Glenelg North is considered as a sought out suburb.
The average house price in Adelaide is currently $900,000 according to realestate.com.au.
Just a 17 minute walk from the beach and an eight minute walk from the closest primary school, the home sits on a prime spot in the area.
The Glenelg North property was built in 2000 where it featured three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a courtyard on a 402 square metres of land.
Real estate agents described the home as “outstanding” and “highly desirable” when it was last sold in 2005 for $425,000.
Photos taken inside the property when it was last sold in 2005 reveal it to have a back deck and small garden.
It also features a modest kitchen flowing onto a sizeable dining area.
It contains a frontage of 12.5 metres on Kibby Ave with rear access to Gosse Ave.
A neighbour who spoke after the two deaths said that he did not know a second man had died at the house until Wednesday afternoon.
“And that second person was out here yesterday talking to my wife, so it’s a bit of a shock,” he told the ABC.
“Then police came, something’s happened.”