3 children found dead in pond near Hwy 77

CASS COUNTY, Texas (KSLA) - Three young children’s bodies were recovered from a private pond after they were reported missing in Cass County, Texas.

Officials say 9-year-old Zi’ariel Oliver, 8-year-old Amiyah Hughes and 5-year-old Temari Oliver were reported missing at around 10 p.m. Friday night. Multiple agencies responded to the search, including the Texas Parks and Wildlife, Cass County Sheriff’s Office and volunteer firefighters.

On Saturday, July 30 at around 2 a.m., the agencies received reports of three young children located in a private pond near Highway 77.

“We located items of clothing around a pond and in a pond. So, we centered the search around that small body of water, and with the use of divers we were able to recover three victims at approximately 2 a.m. this morning,” said Texas Game Warden Shawn Hervey.

At around 2 a.m., all three juvenile victim’s bodies were recovered from the pond, which is on a neighboring property to their home. The bodies have been sent for autopsies.

Authorities have not confirmed if all three girls are related. The circumstances of the incident are under investigation.

“This is not an everyday occurrence, but it does happen,” said Hervey.

UPDATE: The case has been taken over by the Texas Rangers.

This is a developing story. Stay with KSLA News 12 for updates.

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