Authorities on Friday afternoon discovered two young children who'd been missing from school inside a home where they also found a woman's body.
It was the intuition of Forney Independent School District teachers that led authorities to Trinity Meadows Drive in Talty, about 40 minutes east of Dallas.
The Kaufman County Sherriff’s Office confirmed they were called to assist police in the investigation. When they arrived and entered the home a woman was found dead. They also realized that two young children were living inside.
Many neighbors said they didn’t know the family well, but said the woman was elderly.
“My heart just really hurts for the family and for the children. It’s really just a sad situation,” said Alek Turner, a woman who lives in the neighborhood.
A spokesperson with the sheriff’s office said the children were unharmed but could not confirm how long they’d been inside the house with the woman’s body.
However, Forney ISD released a statement saying teachers had noticed the absence of two students, sensed something was wrong and asked police for a welfare check.
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A statement from Forney ISD reads in part:
“When two students had been absent and their parent couldn’t be reached, our teachers sensed something was wrong and asked our Forney ISD PD to do a welfare check. We are so thankful that our teachers are building relationships with families to know something wasn’t right, and for our officers that check in our families. Our hearts break with the family, and we are keeping them close in our thoughts and prayers.”
Turner, an educator herself, said she’s not surprised to learn that teachers were the ones who stepped up and initiated what ultimately ended up being a death investigation.
“It was just interesting to know that they’re the ones who kind of noticed that something wasn’t right. So, I’m very thankful they took action and were proactive in check on those kids,” Turner said.
The cause of death remained a mystery Sunday as neighbors were left to wonder how often they had passed the house not knowing that two children needed help inside.
A spokesperson with the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services confirmed Talty police brought two children into their custody.
NBC 5 is told relatives were identified and the children were with family Sunday night.
