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Catholic school in Camrose mourns 6-year-old girl found dead in Red Deer home

May 16, 2017 | 1:24 PM

Students and staff at a Catholic school are receiving grief counselling as they deal with the loss of a six-year-old girl found dead inside a Red Deer home.

“It is with profound sadness that Elk Island Catholic Schools confirms that a student at St. Patrick Catholic School in Camrose died suddenly this past weekend,” the district said in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of this young student and for all the people in our community that are touched by this tragedy.”

With the matter still under police investigation, the district it can offer no further comment at this time.

Police discovered the body of the girl and her 39-year-old father inside a home in the Lancaster neighbourhood on Sunday. RCMP had been called to the home by someone who knew the family to do a welfare check.

On Monday, Red Deer RCMP Supt. Ken Foster did not share the name of the school the girl attended, only saying it was not in Red Deer.

RCMP have not released the names of the deceased. According to a title search, the home at 93 Lister Crescent was owned by Robert Lesslie Malcolm Campbell.

Autopsies of both deceased were conducted at the office of the Medical Examiner in Calgary on Tuesday, with RCMP saying the cause and manner of the deaths are pending further test results.

“Investigators have completed the examination of the scene and it is no longer being contained,” Cpl. Curtis Peters, RCMP Media Relations said in a release. “The RCMP is continuing to work with the medical examiner and an update will be provided when the tests have been completed.”