Salem murder victims identified

The victims in Sunday’s triple-homicide in Washington County have been identified. Sgt. Jerry Goodin, spokesman for the Indiana State Police Post in Sellersburg, says that autopsies on all three victims were completed Tuesday morning by the Washington County Coroner. They have been identified as 58-year-old Danny G. Newlin, 41-year-old Kelley Kay Newlin and their son, 14-year-old Austin Newlin. Goodin says that the cause of death for each of the victims was gunshot wounds.

State Police say the family was murdered in their home, in the 5500 block of South Beck’s Mill Road near Salem, by Richard Lee Burton, Jr. Police found Burton’s body Monday morning in the Hoosier National Forrest. He is believed to have committed suicide with a gun. It is unknown at this time whether or not it was the same gun used in the Newlin murders. Burton’s autopsy is being performed by the Monroe County Coroner’s Office.

Police say that Burton was living in the Newlin home. There’s been no word on any potential motive for the killings.

Indiana State Police add that these autopsies are preliminary, as it will take up to six weeks to get final toxicology reports.