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Family of four found dead in Garfield Township

UPDATE: Police have not stated the cause of death and do not suspect anyone outside of the family. Few details have been released. The children were found in a separate location from the parents. Dead animals were also found on the premises.

An attorney in the Grand Traverse County Prosecuting Attorney's office told MLive that they suspect the mother was responsible but can't confirm that.

A spokesman for the Grand Traverse County Sheriff's Office told Interlochen Public Radio that this is not the first time police have been to the Mendenhall residence. On three separate occasions going back to 2009 police responded to reports of someone at the home being suicidal.

A family of four was found dead in Garfield Township, Grand Traverse County.

The bodies have been identified as Jeffrey Allan Mendenhall, 54, Tamisha Marie Mendenhall, 34, and their children, Thomas, 6, and Olivia, 3. 

Michigan State Police do not believe there is a public safety concern. The exact cause of death is under investigation. They're waiting on the forensic autopsy outcome.

Michigan State Police Cadillac Post were initially contacted by a co-worker of Jeffrey Mendenhall's after he was absent from work a couple days. State troopers' attempts to contact Mendenhall went unanswered and messages were not returned. Shortly after 9pm last night, State Troopers did a wellness check at the residence. After no response came from inside the home, troopers forced entry and found the family of four dead.

Morgan Springer is a contributing editor and producer at Interlochen Public Radio. She previously worked for the New England News Collaborative as the host/producer of NEXT, the weekly show which aired on six public radio station in the region.