From the Newsroom: Gatehouse Media

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NICEVILLE ―A 3-year-old boy was killed in an apparent domestic violence-related attack followed by a suicide attempt by his father, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office said Saturday.

Deputies were dispatched to 1476 Rawlins Court in Bluewater Bay around 4:30 p.m. Friday after receiving a 9-1-1 call.

The child’s mother arrived home from work to find the boy and her husband, 61-year-old Frederick Franken, lying on the floor.

The boy, 3-year-old Frederick Franken Jr., was pronounced dead at the scene.

An out-of-state visitor died after falling from the balcony of an upper floor at a Destin condominium complex on Saturday, lawmen say.

The man’s body was found at 970 U.S. Highway 98 shortly after 5 a.m. Pelican Beach Resort is listed at that address.

The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office was called to the scene after the man’s body was found on a pool deck.

CRESTVIEW — Animal control officers assisted by law enforcement are investigating the death and possible abuse of more than two dozen pets at a home in unincorporated Okaloosa County, just north of Crestview.

They were called to the scene after an Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office deputy noticed the smell and saw dead animals while checking on the welfare of a woman believed to be living there.

He did not find the woman, but called the Panhandle Animal Welfare Society for animal control assistance.

Her father, who had called for the welfare check, was at the home when officers arrived. He said he didn’t live there but all of the mail in the house was addressed to him, according to Panhandle Animal Welfare Society Animal Control Officer Ashley Lacey.

Since the man operates a boarding facility in Niceville, PAWS officials asked for the Niceville Police Department’s assistance in obtaining a search warrant for the boarding facility. PAWS Director Dee Thompson said that officers could see the animals standing in a “week’s worth of feces,” but were told that there wasn’t enough evidence to gain a warrant.

The man told officers exactly how many animals they would find.

Nine dogs, six cats and two rabbits were found in the garbage can in various stages of decomposition. Another four dead dogs were found wrapped in blankets in the treeline. 

They were placed in the trash in the last 48 hours, she said. The cats and rabbits had been placed in storage containers.

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