LAPD Probes Killings of 6 in Murder-Suicide

Oct. 6, 2008— -- Los Angeles police said an unemployed father of three apparently shot his family and then himself in an upscale home north of the city because he was upset over family finances.

"We believe that he has become despondent recently over financial dealings and the financial situation of his household and that this murder-suicide event is a direct result of that," LAPD Deputy Chief Michael Moore said at a news conference this evening.

The bodies of the 45-year-old man, his wife, 39, his mother-in-law, 70, his three sons, ages 19, 12 and 7, were found around 7:15 a.m. today, police said. It was believed that the killings took place on Saturday.

"It appears to be a murder-suicide," Officer Kate Lopez told ABCNews.com earlier today.

Officers found the bodies scattered throughout the Como Lane house, located in a gated community in the San Fernando Valley, about 30 miles north of downtown Los Angeles.

"Someone called because the wife had not shown up for work or not shown up to meet someone," Lopez said.

When police got to the home today, there was no answer at the door, so they went through the garage and found the bodies.

It was "a very tragic scene, total devastation inside this home," Moore said.

Police found three notes apparently left by the 45-year-old man.

"He attests to some financial difficulties, takes responsibility for the taking of the lives of his family members and himself as a result of those financial difficulties," Moore said.

According to Moore, the man had a master's of business administration in finance and had worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers and Sony Pictures, but he hadn't had a job for several months.

ABC News' Dean Schabner contributed to this report.