2 found dead in Clearfield home; 'person of interest' in custody, police say

CLEARFIELD — A 26-year-old man is in custody after police found his grandfather and grandmother dead Wednesday afternoon at the Clearfield home they all shared.

Officers responded to a call reporting the deaths at 681 N. 1050 West shortly after 3 p.m., according to a news release from the Clearfield Police Department. The couple's 60-year-old daughter, who also lives in the house, called police after finding her 87-year-old father and 85-year-old mother dead in the garage.

The release said the woman told officers she believed her 26-year-old son was responsible for the deaths and that he was still inside the house.

After officers arrived at the home, the 26-year-old "exited the home and surrendered to our officers without any incident or injury," Clearfield Police Chief Kelly Bennett said.

The man called his mother, who allowed an officer to speak with him, and the officer was able to talk the man into leaving the house where he was taken into custody without incident.

"There's evidence that there probably was an altercation of some sort that occurred — or some type of incident that occurred — inside of the garage and inside the residence," Bennett said.

The chief said his office would wait until after the holiday to release the names of the deceased. The news release says investigators believe the 26-year-old man, identified as Jeremy Belt, "caused traumatic injuries to his grandparents," and that he is under investigation for two counts of homicide and one count of domestic violence.

Bennett said officers entered the home to make sure there were no other victims and spent several hours at the scene Wednesday night.

Detectives learned of other acts of violence which occurred earlier in the day and were not reported to the police, according to the release, but it did not provide additional details.

In a statement, Clearfield police asked neighbors to contact the department if they witnessed anything unusual at the residence between 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. Police also commended "the actions of the daughter as well as the officers who responded and quickly took the suspect into custody."

Neighbors said the couple that lived in the house were extremely kind over the years. They said a couple lived there with a daughter and a grandson.

"It was totally devastating," said Debbie Leahman. "... That people, when they get angry, that they have to turn to violence and that wonderful people get hurt because of it."

The incident was especially tragic the night before Thanksgiving, the chief said.

"We hope to have a celebration with our family members and so does this family, as well, and they'll be mourning the loss of two loved ones," Bennett said. "We will investigate this throughout the weekend and put as much time and effort into it as we have to find a resolution to what occurred here and hopefully find some justice for this family."

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