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Suburban Man, Mother, Shot Dead In Arkansas

CHICAGO (STMW) - A 20-year-old Villa Park man and his mother were shot to death in Arkansas on Christmas Eve morning, apparently by the woman's husband, police said.

At approximately 9:01 a.m. on Friday, Baxter County Arkansas Sheriff's deputies responded to a 911 call reporting that a woman was lying on the floor in a pool of blood inside the residence in the 100 block of Forest Hills Dr., in Lake Norfork, Arkansas, a release from the sheriff's office said.

The caller had been unable to reach the occupants and was attempting to check their welfare, the release said.

Sheriff's Deputies and an officer with the Arkansas State Police arrived at the home just 10 minutes later to investigate. Deputies had to force entry into the home through the locked front door to gain access.

Once inside the home, deputies discovered three bodies, each of which appeared to have suffered gunshot wounds. The preliminary investigation determined that the three were a man and his wife -- Harry D. Svensson, 52, and Louise Svensson, 56, who both lived at the Forest Hills Drive home -- and her son, Victor A. Robles, 20, of Villa Park, who was visiting.

The immediate indication, based on the evidence at the scene, suggests that Harry Svensson shot and killed his wife and her son, then shot and killed himself, however no conclusions have been reached and the investigation is actively continuing, the sheriff's office said. A handgun, spent shell casings and other pieces of evidence were found at the scene.

The bodies were transferred to the State Medical Examiner's office. The results of the autopsies will not be known for several days, the sheriff's office said.

Sheriff's police said the final results and conclusions of the investigation will not be made or released until autopsy results have been received and all evidence processed.

© Sun-Times Media Wire Chicago Sun-Times 2010. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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