FORT WAYNE, Ind. (Fort Wayne’s NBC) – The Allen County Coroner’s Office has released the identities of the people who were killed in Wednesday’s multi-homicide investigation.
FWPD Sgt. Jeremy Webb said they responded to the Gay Street home around 10:45 a.m. for an unknown problem and found four people dead in the home.
READ MORE: Probable cause documents released in multi-homicide investigation
Those four people included 26-year-old Sarah Zent, 5-year-old Carter Zent, 3-year-old Ashton Zent and 2-year-old Aubree Zent.
According to documents, Sarah Zent was strangled and stabbed to death. Her death has been ruled a homicide.
The Allen County Coroner’s Office say all three children died from multiple stab wounds and their deaths have been ruled homicides.
At this time, authorities are not sure what prompted the stabbings of the four victims.
As police made it to the scene, the two initial witnesses who discovered the victims immediately identified the suspect as Hancz-Barron.
Investigators then used digital intelligence to track Hancz-Barron to an apartment complex in Lafayette, Indiana.
That’s where police found a black Ford pickup truck that a witness told police Barron drove from the crime scene without the owner’s permission.
A bloodied knife was found in Hancz-Barron’s possession. Detectives also found the adult victim’s credit card in Hancz-Barron’s wallet along with a set of car keys.
Hancz-Barron appeared in court for an initial hearing Thursday morning to face the murder charges.
Allen County Prosecutor Karen Richards has made no decision about whether to seek the death penalty.
Former Adams County Prosecutor Dan Sigler told Fort Wayne’s NBC there are factors in this case that would permit a death penalty filing, including the fact three of the victims are young kids.
Sigler says no prosecutor ever pursues a capital case without careful consideration.
“One thing I know as a prosecutor is if you embark on a death penalty case you want to have your ducks in a row, you want to have your evidence there, you want to know this is going to stand up, you don’t want to start it on a hope and a prayer. You want to do it on a solid foundation of facts,” Sigler said.
The family has set up a GoFundMe to cover the funeral costs. Click here to be directed to the page.
