Originally published April 5, 2009 at 2:41 PM | Page modified April 6, 2009 at 1:20 AM

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State found father abused child

A father who is believed to have killed his five children before committing suicide this weekend was found to have physically abused one of his children in 2007, according to Washington Department of Social and Health Services records.

By Michael J. Berens

Seattle Times staff reporter

Police: After confronting wife, husband "wanted the kids dead"

State records released Sunday show the child was abused in February 2007 but was not removed from the family's home located in a mobile-home park in Graham, said Sherry Hill, a spokeswoman for Children's Administration in DSHS.

DSHS is conducting a full review of records and cooperating with law enforcement officials, Hill said.

Hill would not comment on the nature of the abuse or how the complaint was received by DSHS.

Michael J. Berens: 206-464-2288 or mberens@seattletimes.com.

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Comments (20)

DSHS and police asleep at the wheel? The only person to blame for this tragedy is the father. He pulled the trigger. Even if DSHS removed the kids,... Posted on April 5, 2009 at 9:37 PM by BlueGhetto. Jump to comment

DSHS is damned when they do and damned when they don't. For those of us who actually work with children from families struggling with... Posted on April 5, 2009 at 9:14 PM by frekcles. Jump to comment

This isn't the mother's fault. Who cares if she was cheating? The husband should have grown a pair and taken it like a man. It's not... Posted on April 5, 2009 at 10:26 PM by scooby doo. Jump to comment

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