More information is being released in regard to a tragic incident in the City of Brighton in which police say a mother killed her 5-year-old daughter before taking her own life.

Brighton Police say that officers have been working hard to piece together what occurred at the heartbreaking scene of the murder/suicide involving the woman and her daughter. Police say what they know at this point is the mother, identified as 38-year old Melissa Partee, was suffering from depression and anxiety due to being in fear of losing her child. Police say Partee took her daughter’s life before taking her own with a single gunshot to the head with a .38 revolver. Preliminary autopsy reports suggest the 5-year-old died of strangulation. Police say evidence collected at the scene also suggests that the 5-year old may have been sedated with pills mixed into a drink. Partee’s preliminary autopsy report confirms she died of a single gunshot to the head. Toxicology reports are still pending on both.

The grisly discovery was made Monday afternoon when officers went to a home in the 700 block of North Second Street for a welfare check. The caller was concerned when his ex-girlfriend, and mother of their child, did not show up over the weekend for a scheduled custody exchange. When officers arrived, they found the ex-girlfriend's car in the driveway. After failing to make contact, they made entry to the home with the assistance of the landlord and found both the mother and daughter deceased. The victims may have been deceased for several days. Police said that there was no history of trouble at either the 2nd Street location or between the mother and father of the child. All next of kin have been notified and police say they do not have funeral information at this time. (JM)