Father, 3-Year-Old Son Dead In Bel Air: Murder-Suicide Suspected

BEL AIR, MD — Officials say two people are dead in a suspected homicide-suicide in Harford County. According to investigators, a man killed his son in their home Thursday night in Bel Air.

Jason Douglas DeWitt, 38, and his son, Grayson DeWitt, 3, were both found dead from gunshot wounds, the Harford County Sheriff's Office reported Friday.

Deputies had responded to a report of a suicidal person in the 600 block of High Plain Drive at 5:45 p.m. and said they did not go inside at first, establishing a perimeter and trying to reach the people inside the home first.

After learning one of the people in the house may be a child, deputies said they went inside, then left after finding a handwritten note that said explosives may be detonated if they continued searching the residence, the sheriff's office said in a statement.

Officers said they evacuated nearby homes as a precaution until, with assistance from the state fire marshal, they were able to enter a bedroom around 11:30 p.m., where they found the father and son deceased.

The Criminal Investigations Division is handling the case as a homicide-suicide.

Anyone with information about the DeWitt case may contact the Harford County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division at 410-836-5442.

Help for Those Considering Suicide

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, there are resources available to help.
Call the Klein Family Crisis Center at 410-874-0711.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24 hours a day at 1-800-SUICIDE (or 1-800-784-2433). Its website offers services including a live chat.

The Kristin Brooks Hope Center provides specific hotlines for suicide prevention, veterans support, teens, grad students and those with postpartum depression.