Man, child identified in Becker County murder-suicide

BECKER CO., Minn. (FOX 9) - Authorities have identified a man and child found dead in a home near Detroit Lakes on Monday.

Becker County murder-suicide

The backstory:

The Becker County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday identified a man and child found dead in a home in Holmesville Township as 45-year-old Gene Russell Bartnes, and his son, 3-year-old Koltyn Wayne Bartnes.

The Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled Koltyn Barnes’ death as a homicide, and Gene Bartnes’ death as a suicide.

2 found dead in home

What we know:

The Becker County Sheriff’s Office says it received a call at about 12:39 p.m. Monday from a man who went to check on his brother because he had not shown up for work. The man went to his brother’s residence in Holmesville Township, which is northeast of Detroit Lakes, and found his brother dead from an apparent gunshot wound.

When sheriff’s deputies arrived at the scene, a child was also found dead from an apparent gunshot wound.