Last summer, three sisters, all under the age of 10, were reported dead after being found in a private East Texas pond. At the time, it was believed that the girls drowned; however, evidence from an autopsy suggests foul play could be at hand.

On July 30, 2022, the bodies of 5-year-old Temari Oliver, 8-year-old Amiyah Hughes, and 9-year-old Zi’Ariel Oliver were discovered in a private pond near State Highway 77 in the Texas city of Atlanta. They’d gone missing the evening before (July 29), and a woman, Paris Propps, who was watching them at the time, alerted the authorities, according to the Cass County District Attorney’s Office. “We have no idea what the girls were doing there,” Cass County Sheriff Larry Rowe said when the news first broke.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Lieutenant Jason Jones shared that a pair of tennis shoes found by the pond belonged to one of the girls. They also discovered footprints near the body of water, which was about 200 feet away from the home. “A pair of shoes was found at the edge of the pond, leading investigators to search the water,” Rowe noted. “None of them had life jackets on, so I don’t know how strong of swimmers they were or if [they] were swimmers at all,” Jones noted. Rowe added, “Nobody has been accused of anything.” But that may soon change. New developments in the case were announced late last week.

The district attorney’s office said the girls’ autopsy reports confirmed the children had lacerations on their faces and evidence showed they were strangled before their bodies were found in the pond, according to Tyler, Texas news station CBS 19. Investigators have now classified their untimely deaths as homicides. The Texas Rangers, Cass County Sheriff’s Office and Cass County District Attorney’s Office are asking anyone with information to contact Texas Ranger Josh Mason at (903) 255-5727 regarding the ongoing investigation.