Mother kills daughters with handgun, then shoots herself

EUNICE — A Eunice mother shot her 16- and 9-year-old daughters with a handgun, set their home on fire and then shot herself, State Fire Marshal H. “Butch” Browning Jr. said Monday at a press conference at Eunice City Hall.
Carla Watford, 39, and her daughters Julia Watford, a sophomore at Eunice High School, and Jayia, Watford, were found dead in a bed in the home’s master bedroom.
About 12:47 a.m. Sunday, the Eunice Fire Department responded to a residential fire at at 750 S. 4th St., after a police officer noticed the fire.
When firefighters reached the scene, the home was largely engulfed in flames, and during the search and rescue efforts, the firefighters discovered the three bodies.
Officials from the state Fire Marshal’s office arrived at the scene Monday morning to investigate the cause of the fire.
While combing through the burned remains of the house, the investigators were able to establish that the fire originated near the bedroom.
Watford intentionally started the fire after killing her daughters, Brown said.
A letter believed to have been written by Carla Watford was among the recovered evidence.
All evidence will be processed at the Louisiana State Police Crime Lab in Baton Rouge, he said. Autopsies will be conducted on the victims later this week, he said.