8-Year-old Found Dead in Suspected Murder-Suicide

Investigators have confirmed the identity of the juvenile female involved in what appears to be a Faribault murder-suicide. Lynnaya Stoddard-Espinoza, 8, and Ryan Perrizo, 33, were found dead by police in a Faribault home Sunday. A firearm was also found at the scene.

Perrizo and his late wife, Jodi, petitioned for and received temporary custody in 2012, which granted them sole legal and physical custody of Lynnaya.

On Sunday, Dec. 11 at 1:44 pm, Faribault police officers and a Rice County sheriff’s deputy responded to a residence in the 2500 block of Hulett Avenue in Faribault. Police say someone had called to report a male lying in the entryway through a window of the residence.

Arriving officers forced entry into the house and found a deceased adult male lying on the floor of the residence. Officers also discovered a deceased child elsewhere in the residence. Officers also located a handgun at the scene, according to a news release.

Both persons suffered gunshot wounds, which appear to be the cause of death, according to police. The handgun was recovered next to Perrizo.

All indications in the residence lead investigators to believe the incident was a murder-suicide.
Both victims were sent to the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office for autopsy.

"This is truly a tragic occurrence," Chief Andy Bohlen said in a statement. "Our officers are working very diligently to determine the exact circumstances of Sunday’s events."

The Faribault Police Department is being assisted by the Rice County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

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