Baltimore County police are investigating the deaths of four people from the same family found in a hotel room at the Sheraton Baltimore North Hotel as a murder-suicide. The victims were identified as William Parente, 59, Betty Parente, 58, Stephanie Parente, 19, and Catherine Parente, 11, from Garden City, New York. Detectives believe this was a family tragedy and are continuing their investigation, but have not yet determined the causes or manner of deaths which will be examined in autopsies.

1. Hotel murders<br />Baltimore County police are now calling the deaths of four people found in a room at the Sheraton Baltimore North Hotel in Towson a murder-suicide. Authorities released the names of the victims but have not yet said how they died.<br />And once again, a family tragedy has occurred on the 10th floor of a Baltimore area hotel room. In March 2008, three children were drowned in a bathtub in a 10th floor room at the Baltimore Marriott Inner Harbor and Camden Yards. The latest deaths on Monday also occurred in a 10th floor room. And just days after another family was slain Western Maryland, police say by a man who left notes by the bodies of his wife and three children before killing himself.<br />And in Elkton on Monday, police said a newlywed shot her husband, critically wounding him, and then took her own life in their home on East Philadelphia Road.<br />I've been covering cops a long time and I haven't seen this many families wiped out in such a short period of time. Maybe it's the economy, but I suspect that's too simple an answer, though stress has never been higher. I hope authorities in Frederick, Baltimore and Cecil counties come up with some answers, and I'm sure as in all these cases we'll learn of signs we missed that might've prevented these deaths.<br />We'll have more information after a news conference planned by Baltimore County police later this morning. Here is the latest from police:<br />Police Release Identifications in Precinct 6/Towson Murder/Suicide<br />Four Bodies Found in Room at Towson Sheraton<br />Baltimore County Police have identified the four bodies found in a hotel room at the Sheraton in Towson, MD. Their bodies were discovered by hotel staff at approximately 3 p.m. on Monday, April 20. They are identified as William Parente, 59, Betty Parente, 58, Stephanie Parente, 19, and Catherine Parente, 11, of the unit-block of First Street, Garden City, NY, 11530.<br />Detectives are continuing their investigation as a murder/suicide. The bodies of the Parente family have been taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore where autopsies will be conducted of the bodies some time today. Investigators are not releasing the causes or manner of deaths until after the completion of the autopsies.<br />