Following the discovery of evidence of strangulation, the deaths of three East Texas girls whose bodies were discovered in a pond last summer are now being investigated as homicides.

Temari Oliver, 5, Amiyah Hughes, 8, and Zi’Ariel Oliver, 9, were found in a private pond off State Highway 7 in the early hours of July 30, 2022, close to Atlanta.

According to the Cass County District Attorney’s Office, the girls’ cousin Paris Propps, who was in charge of them while their mother was at work, reported them missing around 9 p.m. on July 29, 2022.

Following autopsies, authorities determined that the girls had facial lacerations and there was evidence that they had been strangled. The DA’s office announced that their deaths are currently being looked into as homicides.

Investigators have gathered a number of witness statements, and DNA testing is still ongoing, according to the authorities. The three siblings of the girls were discovered inside the house unharmed at the time of the incident, according to the DA’s office.

The public is being urged to provide additional information that could result in an arrest by the Texas Rangers, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office, and the Cass County District Attorney’s Office.

Joshua Mason, a Texas Ranger, can be reached at (903) 255-5727 if you have any information.