A Phoenix welfare check just before 11 a.m. on March 21, 2023, ended in the discovery of three dead at a home near 16th Street and South Mountain. Six-year-old White/Caucasian Jacob De Zeeuw Jr. was found deceased inside the house, while 37-year-old Sarah Scott and 27-year-old Jacob De Zeeuw Sr. were also victims. Authorities determined Jacob De Zeeuw Sr. shot and killed Sarah Scott and his son before taking his own life; the incident was classified as a murder-suicide and police are not seeking additional suspects.

Sarah Scott was four months pregnant at the time, and the unborn child was also lost. The Phoenix Police Department and the Department of Child Safety conducted a joint investigation; there were no prior substantiated reports of child abuse or neglect involving Jacob De Zeeuw Sr., though two unsubstantiated reports had involved Jacob Jr. and his mother. If anyone knew the family or has information about what led to this, please share details with investigators.