Man kills couple, returns next day to kill their 17-month-old daughter

A 24-year-old Missouri man, Drew Atchison, 24, who killed a family of three, is facing a possible death sentence after authorities charged him with allegedly stabbing a young couple to death before returning the following day to fatally shoot the couple's 17-month-old daughter.

Court documents obtained by PEOPLE confirm that has been arrested as the sole suspect in the Jan. 25 slayings of Samara Fontaine Kitts, 23, and her 24-year-old high school sweetheart, Harley Michael Million, and the Jan. 26 killing of their 17-month-old daughter, Willa Fontaine Million.

In addition to three counts of murder, he has also been charged with three counts of armed criminal action and two counts of child kidnapping.

Investigators from the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office were asked to check on the family, who had not been heard from in days. They reached the Williamsville home and found evidence of foul play.

Court documents also allege that Atchison confessed to killing the family. However, the documents do not specify a possible motive.

The three bodies were found on Monday, buried on privately-owned land not far from Highway JJ in Butler County, according to the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office.

Atchison, according to the court filings, allegedly stabbed Million and Kitts to death inside their home. A knife was used to kill the couple, who had recently celebrated their eighth year together.

After the killings, Atchison allegedly dragged the two bodies outside, placing them in the bed of Million’s truck, according to the court records. He allegedly went back inside and shut the toddler inside a room, where she spent the night with the family’s dogs and her parents bodies just outside.

The next morning, investigators allege Atchison returned to the home to destroy evidence of the killings.

He allegedly put the child inside Million’s truck and allegedly drove all three to a location off of Highway JJ.

He then tossed the knife in the woods and removed the toddler from the truck. He allegedly fatally shot the girl before burying all three bodies beneath trash and blankets.

A family member of the couple released a statement saying Samara and Harley were “amazing parents to Willa.”

“They both have large families who love them very much and a large circle of life-long friends".

Held without bail, Atchison has yet to enter pleas to the charges.