American father of New Hampshire murdered toddler daughter and her mother before killing himself 

The woman's five-year-old daughter from a previous relationship was found alive with a gunshot wound and a cut on her back

By Edward Era Barbacena 

A white American New Hampshire dad was found dead of an apparent suicide Saturday after killing his 18-month-old daughter and her mother, authorities said. 

Jamie Bell, 42, was seen fleeing a home in Franklin Saturday afternoon, Assistant Attorney General Adam Woods said during an evening news conference. Neighbors said they had heard gunshots.

Police arrived at the home to find Nicole Hughes, 35, and Ariella Bell, her daughter with Jamie Bell, shot to death, Woods said.

Hughes' 5-year-old daughter from another relationship had a gunshot wound to her arm and a cut on her back, Woods said. She was taken to a hospital in Massachusetts. Her injuries were not considered to be life-threatening.

Police spent several hours searching for Bell, first identified as a person of interest, on foot and by helicopter. The attorney general's office had said he was armed and dangerous. Bell was found dead along the bank of the Merrimack River in the area of River Road around 5:30 p.m. 

Autopsies on Bell, Hughes and their daughter were scheduled Sunday.

Franklin is about 20 miles north of the New Hampshire Capital of Concord.