Frank Hayward kills wife, Cynthia, daughter, Natalee, 2, and himself in murder-suicide

A Maryland father-of-two murdered his wife, his two-year-old daughter and attempted to kill his 12-year-old son before shooting himself in a horrific murder-suicide on Tuesday.

Steelworker Frank Hayward Jr, 32, his wife, Cynthia, 32, and their little girl, Natalee, were found dead at the family's affluent multistory home in Owings around 8.30am after an anonymous caller reported a domestic dispute to police.

The couple's son, Frank Hayward III, survived the attack but suffered severe bus and cuts to his neck and was rushed to hospital in Washington D.C where he is fighting for his life.

Another woman, believed to be Ms Hayward's great-aunt, was at home but escaped uninjured, according to The Washington Post.

'We are deeply saddened by this tragic event,' Calvert Sheriff Mike Evans said during a news conference.

Mr Hayward had barricaded himself inside the home when police arrived and was making threats before taking his own life.

He had also lit a fire in a bedroom and several others around the house, police said.

Dead: Cynthia Hayward, 32, and her little girl, Natalee, 2, pictured, were found dead at the family's affluent multistory home in Owings around 8.30am

Tragic: Natalee, 2, was murdered by her father in the attack on Tuesday

Injuries: Frank III, pictured holding his younger sister, is fighting for his life in a Washington D.C. hospital 

Authorities found a handgun in the property and believe the man shot his wife and toddler.

The individual causes of death remain a mystery however as police said not everyone inside the home died as a result of gunshot wounds but wouldn't elaborate further. Reports suggest the mother and child may have been bued to death in the fire.

According to The Post, Anne Arundel County court records reveal the Haywards' 13-year marriage had been a troubled one.

Wealthy: The family lived in an affluent area in a multistory home with a pool, pictured

Murdered: Frank Hayward, centre, killed his wife, Cynthia, left and baby daughter Natalee, right, yesterday moing

She wrote that the previous night Mr Hayward, a big man with three tattoos on his arms: barbed wire, a bulldog and Cindy’s name, had come into her room and put a phone to her ear with his girlfriend on the line.

'She told me she was going to pull me out of work and beat me up,' Ms Hayward, who was employed at Anne Arundel Diagnostics, wrote.

In the complaint, she cataloged the domestic abuse she'd suffered at the hands of her husband, who worked at Stephens Pipe & Steel in Bladensburg.

 

Affluent: The family were found dead inside their multistory home in Candlelight Court in Owings, Maryland, pictured

Between June and September, he had hit her in the jaw, struck her with pool cue, thrown a bottle of liquid on her, and hidden her home telephone and broken her cellphone so that she couldn’t call for help, according to the newspaper.

'I want to retu home. Right now at mother’s,' she wrote.

But the protective order wasn't finalised.

Police: Officers were called to the house around 8.30am after an anonymous caller reported a domestic dispute

Critical: Mr Hayward killed himself after murdering his wife and baby but his 12-year-old son Frank III was rushed to hospital and is fighting for his life

Jacob Cwiek, a neighbourhood friend of Frank Hayward III's told ABC 7 that the boy 'used to have problems with his family.'

'His dad would be rough on him.,' he told the TV station.

Neighbour Patrick Davis, 41, told The Post the Haywards had moved to the exclusive neighbourhood a few years ago.

He said the 12-year-old, or 'Little Frank' as he was known, was a friendly child who often played with other children.

'You never fathom that this would happen in your own neighborhood,' Mr Davis said.