A seven-year-old boy and his 46-year-old father were found dead in their apartment in the “English Mile” residential complex in St. Petersburg’s Krasnoselsky district. The incident is being investigated as a murder-suicide.

Police were alerted to the scene on Peterhofskoye Shosse after reports of a body in blood near an eight-story building. The father’s body was discovered outside the building, suggesting he jumped from a window.

Upon entering the apartment, law enforcement officials found a grim scene. A knife and bloodstains were present, and the child was found dead on a bed with signs of asphyxiation.

The father, originally from Ufa, had moved to St. Petersburg with his family approximately six years ago. He had worked as a driver and a fitter. He and his son had been living alone in the rented apartment since the man’s wife passed away from cancer in July of the previous year.

The man left a note for his parents, explaining that he could not cope with the loss of his wife and did not want to leave his son to be raised in an orphanage. He stated his intention to join his wife, taking his son with him.

The boy attended kindergarten in the Krasnoselsky district. Kindergarten staff reported that he appeared to be a typical child with no apparent developmental issues. The father had declined an offer to have his son evaluated for adjustments to his educational path.

The Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case under the article concerning the murder of a minor. Alexander Bastrykin, the head of the Investigative Committee, is awaiting updates on the investigation’s progress.

Preliminary information suggests the father killed his son before taking his own life. One theory is that the man suffocated the child with a pillow before injuring himself.

Authorities are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths. The family was not known to social services, and neighbors had not reported any concerns about the father’s care of his son.