A dad charged with negligent child abuse resulting in death has had his charges upgraded to murder after a post-mortem found he smothered his two children aged 3 and 5 to death.

The Sarpy County Attorney’s Office in the city of Papillion in the US state of Nebraska reported on Tuesday, 5th October, that Adam Price is now charged with two counts of first-degree murder.

The 36-year-old man had initially been charged with two counts of negligent child abuse resulting in death after his five-year-old daughter and three-year-old son died in his care.

However, Chief Deputy Sarpy County Attorney Bonnie Moore said: “Recently obtained autopsy reports show that Emily and Theodore died by asphyxia due to smothering.”

According to the authorities, the youngsters were at their dad’s house in the suburban city of Bellevue for a court-ordered visitation when the crime took place on 16th May.

The children were later found by a family friend after their mum, who was in the process of divorcing Price, made several posts on social media after being unable to reach them for days.

The dad had fled the scene and was swiftly arrested in the city of Pacifica in the state of California, some 1,435 miles away as the crow flies.

He was taken into preventive custody at the Sarpy County Jail in Papillion on 28th May.

No suspected motive for the crime was reported as the investigation continues.