Police describe Shakopee double-homicide scene as 'brutal'

Updated: 4:45 p.m. | Posted: 1:31 p.m.

A man suspected in the beating death of his father and his father's finacee in Shakopee killed himself Tuesday during a standoff with police in Waseca, authorities said.

Shakopee police found the 68-year-old man and 67-year-old woman dead in their basement early Tuesday after they were asked to check on the couple's welfare.

"Brutal is probably a good word to describe the scene that our officers found," Police Chief Jeff Tate said at a news conference. He wouldn't say if a weapon was used. "You can imagine the type of anger and rage that it takes, what their mindset needs to be to do something like that."

Investigators quickly focused on the man's 40-year-old son, who formerly lived at the home.

Tate said they determined the woman's car was missing and tracked it to near the son's apartment in Waseca, which is about which is about 55 miles south of Shakopee. When officers arrived he barricaded himself in a room with a gun. Negotiators tried for 2½ hours to talk him into surrendering, but he was found dead around noon of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the policed chief said.

Authorities did not immediately release the names of the victims or suspect and were still trying to determine when the couple died. Tate said the motive for the killings wasn't immediately clear.

"This incident leaves us with more question marks than answers," he said.

Court records show the son's criminal history includes convictions for theft, drunken driving, fleeing a police officer, assault and malicious punishment.