Police on Funen believe a 38-year-old mother of two and her six-year-old daughter found dead inside their home in the village of Otterup were murdered by the woman’s boyfriend in a desperate attempt to prevent them from starting a new life.

The 38-year-old man, who was not the father to the woman's children, is suspected of shooting and killing the two sometime late Thursday afternoon before turning the gun on himself.

An autopsy revealed that all three victims were killed by the same type of weapon. The boyfriend was a hunter and had legal access to certain types of firearms.

The three bodies were found by a neighbour who had noticed that the front door of the home had been standing open for several hours.

The woman and her boyfriend were reportedly splitting up. The woman, neighbours said, had found a flat and was in the process of removing her belongings from the home.

Police suspect that the finality of the breakup caused the man to snap.

Investigators are continuing to interview friends and family members.

"We need to try to determine a motive and attempt to find out how things could have gone so wrong,” said Justesen.

Justesen denied reports that police informed the woman’s 14-year-old son about the murder over the telephone.

"We would never do something like that,” said Justesen. “He was not at home when the incident took place. We found out from a family member that he was in Bogense with friends and that family member asked him to come home.”

The boy was then informed about the tragedy and is currently staying with relatives.