Harris County Sheriff issues statement on family mass murder

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- On the same day a funeral remembered and honored the six children and two adults killed in a terrifying massacre, Harris County Sheriff Ron Hickman released a public statement.

PHOTOS: Scene where 6 children and 2 adults were found dead

-Sheriff Ron Hickman, Harris County

Valerie Jackson's family says they told the Harris County Sheriff's Office that David Conley was at the house with a gun. And they tell Eyewitness News their local police department in Minnesota also told the sheriff's office that he was there with a gun. They say someone dropped the ball and it may have cost their eight loved ones their lives.

Deputies did a number of welfare checks. On the final one, they spotted a child's body through a window.

The family believes somebody could have been saved had deputies gone in sooner.

Jackson's family says they plan to pursue civil action against the sheriff's office, as well as an internal affairs investigation. A sheriff's office spokesman says they're not allowed to comment because of a gag order from the judge handling this case.