Father, two kids found dead in Henry Co. home

KNIGHTSTOWN – On Aug. 11, 48-year-old Joseph L. Horn was sued for divorce by his wife.

On Wednesday afternoon, Horn, his estranged spouse and their attorneys participated in a preliminary hearing on the dissolution suit, in Henry Circuit Court 1 in New Castle.

Horn also filed with the court a certificate showing he had completed an online course for divorcing parents, aimed at bringing their children through the process without "unnecessary hurt (and) turmoil."

Sometime after Horn left the Henry County Justice Center that day, something went terribly wrong.

Sheriff's deputies were sent to Horn's home — in the 5500 block of West National Road, east of Knightstown — at mid-morning Thursday for a "welfare check," perhaps prompted by one of his children not showing up for school.

After looking into the windows of the house, authorities saw a "young boy" — later determined to be Horn's 5-year-old son — on the floor.

Deputies made a forced entry into the house, and determined the child was dead.

In searching the two-story house, the officers found two more bodies — that of Horn's 11-year-old daughter's body, and then of Joseph Horn himself.

A press release issued by Henry County Prosecutor Joseph Bergacs late Thursday afternoon did not specify the cause of the children's deaths.

It said their father had died "from an apparent gunshot wound."

An officer told The Star Press at mid-day Thursday that investigators believed they were dealing with two murders and a suicide.

Bergacs' release did not specify that, but did say, "At this time there is no evidence of any suspects at large."

The Henry County Major Investigation Team — including the sheriff's and New Castle Police departments, state police and the prosecutor's office — was continuing its investigation Thursday evening.