The officers, now working quickly, roped off the area and called for backup. The house, once a home, was now a crime scene. Neighbors peered through their windows, drawn by the commotion, as the girl’s quiet street transformed into a hub of flashing lights and somber activity.

As detectives and forensic teams arrived, the officers who had first responded took the girl aside. Her eyes were wide, yet there was a strange calm about her, as if her role in this mysterious sequence of events was now complete. “Is my daddy okay?” she asked, her voice barely audible.