By Jim Hagerty
Reporter

MACHESNEY PARK – The three people found dead inside a Machesney Park apartment in the 1100 block of Minns Drive Wednesday afternoon were victims of a murder-suicide, the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office reported Thursday.

The sheriff’s office said 37-year-old Michael Earls fatally shot 28-year-old Sandra Fernandez-Cardenas and her 11-year-old son before killing himself.

Deputies discovered the bodies just after 4 p.m., when they responded to a 911 call that indicated someone needed help.

Earls and Fernandez-Cardenas were in a previous relationship. The investigation is ongoing.