Couple found by 11-year-old in murder-suicide had a fight before killings, authorities say

The Bergenfield couple found dead by their 11-year-old boy in an apparent murder-suicide had an argument Friday, sparking the deadly encounter, authorities say.

Mark Morris and Annette Torres had an altercation sometime during the afternoon or evening Friday, the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office said.

"At some point during this altercation, the investigation revealed that Morris shot and killed Torres and Morris then shot and killed himself," it said in a statement late Monday.

The prosecutor's office didn't say how it came to the conclusion about the argument. It said detectives seized two handguns from the couple's West Clinton Avenue residence —  one .25 caliber automatic handgun, and one 9 mm handgun. The prosecutor's office didn't say whether it yet has any indication which weapon was used in the killings, but said the weapons will be analyzed by the Bergen County Sheriff’s Department Ballistics Unit.

According to the prosecutor's office. a caller told police at 10:22 a.m. Saturday the couple's young son had found his parents not breathing, prompting a welfare check. Police forced entry into the home, and found the Morris deceased in the basement area, and Torres deceased in the upstairs bedroom, the prosecutor's office said.

Torres' death has been ruled a homicide by gunshot; Morris' death has been ruled a suicide.