An Oklahoma sex offender who was freed from prison early shot dead his wife, her three children and their two friends in the head before killing himself, authorities have confirmed.

The killings have raised concerns over why Jesse McFadden, a 39-year-old convicted sex offender, was released in the first place.

Okmulgee Police Chief Joe Prentice said the victims had sustained between one and three wounds to the head when they were found on Monday in a rural property in Henryetta, Oklahoma.

In the first major update on the case, Mr Prentice said McFadden is then believed to have shot himself.

The victims’ bodies were discovered near a creek in a heavily wooded area.

Mr Prentice identified the victims as Ivy Webster, 14; Brittany Brewer, 15; Michael Mayo, 15; Tiffany Guess, 13; Rylee Allen, 17; and Holly McFadden, 35.

Holly McFadden’s mother, Janette Mayo, identified her daughter on Tuesday as Holly Guess. She had married McFadden last year, Okmulgee County records show.

Their bodies were found in two groups on the large property where the McFaddens rented a home, Mr Prentice said.

“The evidence is that Jesse McFadden murdered six people and then killed himself. Beyond that, I don’t know what his thought process was,” Mr Prentice said. “I’m not going to express a theory because I follow the evidence, and I don’t have any evidence about what the motive was.”

The authorities began a search after 14-year-old Ivy and 16-year-old Brittany, who were visiting the family over the weekend, were reported missing.

McFadden had been sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2003 for first-degree rape of a 17-year-old. He was released three years early in 2020, in part for good behaviour.

He faced new charges that he had used a contraband mobile phone in 2016 to trade nude photographs with a 16-year-old.

Prior to the shooting, he had sent a series of ominous text messages to the now 23-year-old, just hours before his trial was to begin on felony charges of soliciting and possessing images of child sex abuse.

In the messages, he blamed the woman for ending his “great life” and that he was determined not to return to prison.

Screen grabs of the messages reveal McFadden said he was having success at a marketing job and “making great money”.

“Now it’s all gone,” he wrote. “I told you I wouldn’t go back.”

“This is all on you for continuing this,” he added.

Mr Prentice declined to speculate on whether that is what led to the shooting.

“Everyone wants to understand why,” he said. “Normal people can’t understand why. People who perpetrate crimes like this are evil and normal folks like us can’t understand why they do it.”

A search was launched after McFadden failed to appear at his long-delayed jury trial in Muskogee County on Monday.

His body was later found along with his wife, her son and daughters, and two teenagers who were visiting the family over the weekend.

The seven bodies were found on the property where McFadden lived near Henryetta, a town of around 6,000 people about 90 miles (145km) east of Oklahoma City. The bodies included the two teenagers who had previously been reported as missing.

Brittany’s father, Nathan Brewer, confirmed that his daughter was among the dead at a vigil Monday night, saying: “It’s just a parent’s worst nightmare, and I’m living it.”

Related posts:

‘I’m on the move!’: NASA’s Perseverance rover takes its first test drive on Mars Pope Francis arrives at home of senior Iraqi Shi’ite cleric All the latest as Turkey and Italy go head-to-head in Euro 2020 opener Six people dead in South Africa as riots over jailing of former president Jacob Zuma escalate Power restored in Lebanon after empty fuel stations caused total blackout in Beirut Chennai prepares for more rainfall as residents struggle to cope with flooding Migrant crisis on Belarus-Poland border has been frighteningly easy for Minsk to orchestrate Russian ambassador denies his country lacks urgency over climate change Schools in southern India reopen after students banned from wearing hijabs and religious clothing G7 leaders show united front against Russia as Johnson jokes about group being ‘tougher’ than Putin Zelenskyy praises Kherson’s resilience but warns Russian soldiers: ‘There’s no point in hiding – we’ll find you’ Punjab state on high alert as separatist preacher remains on the run