The children killed in an apparent murder-suicide in Syracuse, New York, this weekend reportedly died of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick told Syracuse.com that the mother and three children found dead by a tow truck driver sent to retrieve an overdue rental car were killed because mother set a charcoal grille ablaze in the trunk of the vehicle, causing all four passengers to die of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Though authorities have not confirmed the identities of the family members, Jarmen Savage, the father of one of the boys, told the news outlet that his 3-year-old son John Savage was among the victims, along with the toddler boy’s half-siblings Ari Ase, 8; and Maya Ase, 7. He identified the mother as his ex-wife Crystal Denise Savage, 35.

“My son was 3, super intelligent, aware, loving, happy … murdered,” Savage told the news outlet in a Facebook message.

Syracuse.com independently confirmed the identity of the mother, a North Carolina native with advanced educational degrees who said in an interview with a student journalist in 2017 that she relocated her family to New York in order to access better care for her two oldest children, who she said had autism.

The District Attorney’s office reportedly confirmed that some of the deceased children were autistic.

A motive for the apparent murder-suicide is not yet known.

This is a developing story. CrimeOnline will provide further updates when more information is available.

[Feature image: John Savage/Facebook]