TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. -- Tarpon Springs police were trying to calm neighbors’ nerves and answer questions Wednesday after three adults and three small dogs were found dead inside a home in the Meadows, a 55 and older community.
The victims were found Tuesday inside a manufactured home on Juanita Way when police conducted a welfare check. Police say they had received a call from a concerned relative, and the people inside had been there several days, say investigators, based upon the state of decomposition of the bodies.
“I just want to know what they know that we might not have already heard,” said Bruce Hoover, a neighbor.
Police say they’re waiting to see the medical examiner’s report to say how the victims were killed.
At the community clubhouse, it was a standing-room-only crowd as police took neighbors’ questions, assuring them the murders do not appear to be random.
“We do not believe at this point, we have nothing to lead us to believe that there is a threat to anyone outside of this,” said Maj. Jeff Young,
“They’ve given us enough to make us feel secure,” neighbor Patricia Fredrikson said after the meeting.
Records show the house was purchased by Richard and Laura Ivancic about seven months ago.
Neighbors describe the couple as friendly but private.
“They hadn’t lived here very long and were not real sociable,” said neighbor Donna Hoffman.
Neighbors say one of the Ivancic’s sons would visit regularly on weekends. His blue van, they say, is the vehicle still parked in front of the house.
Missing, however, is the couple’s maroon-colored Kia SUV, which vanished around Christmas, say neighbors, around the same time the couple’s daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren came to visit.
“She told me they were family from Texas,” said Hoffman.
No one, say neighbors, has been seen since then. But in hindsight, they recall some red flags.
The air conditioning has been running for days 24/7. The vehicle was missing. The couple’s dogs had been silent.
“The dogs were kind of yappy dogs,” said Hoover. “And for a few days anyway, nobody has heard them barking.”
But perhaps most disturbing is a trench that witnesses say they saw the couple’s son-in-law digging a little over a week ago.
It’s about 2 feet wide, 10 feet long and about 3 feet deep.
“It looks like a grave,” said neighbor Jim Hoffman. “So, with what’s going on, apparently it looks like somebody’s trying to figure that out.”
Police say they’re still gathering evidence. Several large bags have already taken from the home.
Although apparently not random, it’s still a disturbing time for people living in this normally quiet neighborhood.
“It’s scary,” said Fredrikson, “We’ve never had anything like that here.”
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