Residents of Karinde in Kikuyu, Kiambu County, Kenya, were stunned to learn of a sad tragedy when a couple's dead were discovered in their locked house.

The gruesome discovery came after neighbors reported a strong, filthy odor emanating from the residence for several days.

"We smelled something foul coming from their house," said Mary Wanjiru, a neighbour.

"At first, we believed it was a dead animal, but the scent worsened with each passing day. We had no choice but to contact the police to investigate."

When the cops arrived, they forced their way inside the home. What they discovered was heartbreaking.

The man's body, identified as Reuben Ndede, was discovered hanging in the bedroom, tied to the roof by a rope.

His wife's lifeless body, with apparent indications of injury, lay on the floor in the main room.

Tragically, their one-and-a-half-year-old toddler was discovered sleeping close to his mother, frail and starved.

"We couldn't believe what we saw," added another neighbor, John Mwangi.

"They were a quiet couple." We never overheard them arguing or fighting. It's difficult to believe that this could happen just in our neighborhood."

The infant, who appeared to have been without nourishment for more than a day, was taken to Mutuini Hospital. Doctors confirmed that the toddler was stable, albeit shaken from the event.

Police believe the murders were a result of murder-suicide, with Ndede allegedly killing his wife before taking his own life. However, the exact cause of the catastrophe remains unknown.

"The house was locked from the inside, and the condition of the bodies suggests they had been dead for more than a day," said Kiambu police chief Michael Muchiri.

Neighbors and the neighborhood are still dealing with the shock. "They never seemed like a couple who would do such a thing," Wanjiru told me.

"We are all depressed and puzzled. "We want to know why this happened."

Authorities have initiated a thorough inquiry into the occurrence. The remains were transferred to the City Mortuary for autopsy, and the infant is being cared for in the hospital.