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A 52-year-old man has been charged with the murder of a mother and her two young children.
Saju Chelavalel was arrested after officers found Anju Asok, 35, Jeeva Saju, six, and Janvi Saju, four, seriously injured at his address in Kettering, Northamptonshire.
The mother and her two children died shortly thereafter.
Post-mortem examinations at Leicester Royal Infirmary determined that all three had died of asphyxiation.
Mr Chelavalel will appear in Northampton Magistrates Court on Monday.
Lead Investigator Detective Inspector Simon Barnes said: ‘Our thoughts continue to be with the family of Anju, Jeeva and Janvi, for whom we are determined to seek justice.
“Incidents of this nature are incredibly distressing, and I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who responded to the 999 call on Thursday, or was involved in the ensuing investigation, for the professionalism and the respect they have shown.
“I also want to thank the local community, as we know how upsetting it is for an incident of this nature to occur. We will continue to have members of our Neighborhood Policing Team on patrol in the area and I urge anyone with concerns to speak to them.
Police confirmed earlier that Anju was a nurse at Kettering General Hospital.
The hospital’s chief executive, Deborah Needham, said in a statement: ‘Yesterday we received the extremely heartbreaking news that a colleague of ours had died in circumstances which are under investigation by the police of the Northamptonshire.
‘Anju Asok was an internationally trained nurse who joined our KGH family in 2021 and worked primarily on Barnwell B – one of our orthopedic services.
“She was a dedicated and compassionate nurse, loved and respected by her dear friends and colleagues.
“All of our thoughts are with his friends and family as they come to terms with this sudden loss.”
Business manager Pierino Geranio, who runs his uncle’s hair salon near the cul-de-sac where the incident happened, said: ‘You tell people about it and they just can’t believe it.
“I come here every day for work and you never expect anything like this – it’s so tragic. It’s totally terrible, beyond comprehension.
Flowers were left next to the police cordon blocking Petherton Court, alongside soft toys.
An unsigned note attached to one of the tributes read: ‘We are shocked and devastated by the news. The community will always remember this extremely sad and heartbreaking incident. RIP. We hope you are in a better place.
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