Texas mother's death ruled self-inflicted and son's declared homicide after duo found dead in park
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SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS: In a tragic development, the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office has formally declared Savannah Kriger, aged 32, to have died by suicide, while her son, Kaiden Kriger's death has been ruled as a homicide.
The devastating revelation follows the grim discovery of their bodies in a Texas park on March 19.
Timeline of Savannah and Kaiden Kriger's disappearance
The tragic event unfolded when family members grew concerned for the mother and son's well-being, as all efforts to contact Savannah were unsuccessful, and her phone's location services had been intentionally disabled.
Responding to the escalating worry, the Bexar County Sheriff's Office initiated a welfare check at Savannah's residence, only to find the house deserted, with the woman's vehicle absent from the driveway.
Subsequently, authorities issued an Amber Alert for Savannah and Kaiden on March 18 following their reported disappearance. Savannah was last observed leaving her workplace prematurely to pick up her son from daycare and attend a medical appointment.
Savannah Kriger and her son were found with gunshot wounds
Despite extensive search efforts, the pair were discovered deceased from gunshot wounds to the head at Tom Slick Park. The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the cause of death for both victims.
The case turned grim when "concerning evidence" was uncovered at the residence where Savannah and Kaiden resided, as reported by KSAT.
Following this, Sheriff Javier Salazar declared during a news conference that the investigation had progressed into a homicide case.
Custody battle shadows mother and son's fatal encounter
The bodies, each with gunshot wounds to the head, were discovered in a drainage ditch within the park. A firearm was found nearby, adding to the sorrowful circumstances of their deaths.
Compounding the grief, Sheriff Salazar disclosed that the distressing events occurred amidst an ongoing legal dispute between Savannah and Kaiden's father, Brian, with a custody hearing slated for the very day of the tragic discovery.