DENVER – The Denver Office of the Medical Examiner identified the victims of a shooting that killed a man, woman and their daughter inside their southwest Denver home last week.
The suspect in the killings, 59-year-old Bustaman Kartabrata, was arrested after police allege he shot and killed Joseph McDaniels, 48; Althea McDaniels, 37; and Christine McDaniels, 11, Thursday night at a home in the 3000 block of South Golden Way. Their son was home at the time of the shooting and escaped unharmed.
Neighbors said the family had just closed on their home and was planning to move out of state, as the father dealt with health issues. The couple's daughter, Christine, was an elementary school student at nearby Traylor Academy, and the father, Joseph, drove a school bus, neighbors said.
Police Chief of Investigations Joseph Montoya said Friday that Kartabrata knew the victims "very well," but investigators were still working to determine what led up to the shooting and whether he was related to the victims.
"It was some sort of conflict that occurred that evening that led to this," Montoya said.
Kartabrata appeared in Denver County Court on Sunday and will continue to be held in custody without bond.