On June 3, 2023, in Franklin, New Hampshire, 18-month-old Ariella Bell and her mother, 35-year-old Nicole Hughes, were found dead in their Elkins Street home. Both suffered multiple gunshot wounds, and authorities ruled their deaths homicides. Investigators named 42-year-old Jamie Bell, Hughes’ intimate partner and Ariella’s father, as the suspect.

After the killings, Jamie Bell fled and was later located on the Merrimack River bank near River Street in Franklin. An autopsy determined he died from a self-inflicted incised wound to the neck; his death was ruled a suicide. During the attack a 5-year-old girl from Hughes’ previous relationship sustained a gunshot wound to her arm and a laceration on her back; she was treated at a Massachusetts hospital and is expected to recover. Family members have taken in the surviving child and asked for privacy.

A candlelight vigil was held in Franklin as the community mourned. If anyone has information about what led up to these deaths, please come forward.