AG rules Northfield deaths triple homicide

CONCORD — Senior Assistant Attorney General Geoffrey Ward offered no new information about a triple homicide in Northfield during a news conference Friday afternoon. Kassandra Sweeney, 25, and her two young sons, Benjamin Sweeney, 4, and Mason Sweeney, 1, were found dead Wednesday in a home at 56 Wethersfield Drive. Each family member was killed by a single gunshot, according to the state medical examiner.

On Friday, state police were seen at the Northfield residence, searching the property with a K9 officer and using metal detectors.

“We’re still in the first 48 hours of this investigation,” Ward emphasized during the press conference. Ward reiterated a statement previously released in writing, that said investigators “believe they have identified all parties involved and do not believe there is any danger to the public at this time.”

However, when asked if a suspect had been identified or was in custody, Ward did not elaborate.

“What I can best say is that there’s been no arrest or charge in connection with these homicides but we’ve identified everyone involved,” Ward said. “People would need to worry if we had not identified all the parties involved or if someone was loose or unaccounted for. We’ve identified all parties, meaning they’re all accounted for.”

Ward declined to say whether or not the AG’s office knew which of the “parties involved” was responsible. So far, there are no reports that anyone is currently being held in custody, and no charges have been filed. Ward also said that he believed this was not a random event.

When it came to new details regarding the murders, Ward declined to comment. It is unknown if the weapon used was a rifle or a handgun, or whether or not the weapon is in police custody.

Alizabeth Dawson, a friend of Sweeney, started a GoFundMe page to help the family and the surviving husband, Sean Sweeney, cover funeral expenses. As of Friday, the appeal has raised more than $25,000, double its posted goal of $10,000.

Sean Sweeney made a public post on his Facebook page expressing hostility toward the media; he is not taking questions from the press.