Scott Westerhuis of rural Platte used a shotgun to kill his wife and four children, then set fire to their home and used the same shotgun to kill himself.
That was the conclusion from South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley. He held a news conference in Platte yesterday to release details of their investigation.
Jackley says it has been a difficult process………. .

Jackley says the investigation led them to their conclusions………

Westerhuis was the business manager at the Mid Central Educational Cooperative and his wife Nicole also worked there. Jackley says the financial investigation is continuing……

Jackley said during the news conference that there was a phone call from the Westerhuis land line to Nicole’s cell phone at 2:57 am on the morning of the fire. He said there was a forty three second voice mail, but they could not recover the contents. Jackley also said there was no recovery of a safe that was reported to be in the Westerhuis home.