San Mateo Family of 4 Found Dead in Their Home

The family's home has no history of violence, according to San Mateo police records. Samantha Laurey/AFP via Getty Images

A San Mateo family of four—father, mother, and twin boys—were found dead in their home Feb. 12 by police conducting a welfare check.

Officers discovered the scene around 9 a.m. on the 4100 block of Alameda de las Pulgas, according to the San Mateo Police Department. San Mateo is about 20 miles south of San Francisco.

Lying on the floor of a bathroom were the bodies of the parents, Anand Henry and Alice Benziger, who both had gunshot wounds. Ms. Benziger was shot multiple times while Mr. Henry was shot once.

It was unclear where the twins were found.

A joint investigation by San Mateo police, the county crime lab and the Coroner’s Office determined Mr. Henry was the prime suspect in the deaths.

The ages and names of the twin boys were not released because they are minors. Their cause of death is pending pathology, but police confirmed they didn’t die from gunfire or bodily trauma.

The family’s home has no history of violence, according to police records. The last police response to the residence in 2020 was regarding a mountain lion in the back yard, they added.

Police are still investigating the motive for the killings, they said, and encouraged anyone experiencing domestic violence or mental health to contact available resources, including the following:

• CORA (Community Overcoming Relationship Abuse), 24-hour hotline [phone] or www.corasupport.org
• San Mateo County Health-Mental Health Services, 24/7 assistance 800-686-0101 or www.smchealth.org/mental-health-services
• StarVista 24/7 Crisis Hotline [phone]
• 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, call or text 988 for help

San Mateo residents can also text 911 for help if they are unable to verbally make a call to police but must remember to include their location for the best assistance, police said.