The Clallam County Sheriff’s Office has found a third body at a house at 52 Bear Meadow Road near Port Angeles today, Tuesday, Jan. 1.

Deputies found the first two bodies on Monday during a welfare check, Staff Sgt. John Keegan said. They checked the home at 4:15 p.m. Monday because family hadn’t heard from the occupants since Christmas Day.

They found two bodies covered in tarps and debris and then law enforcement blocked off the property until officials from the State Patrol Crime Lab could arrive on scene today.

“We had to wait for the State Patrol to get there to organize enough individuals to do an effective search and use the advantage of daylight,” Keegan said. “You don’t want to miss things in a case like this.”

The third body was found Tuesday during a search.

Keegan said the three people have not been identified and the cause and manner of death is unknown. The bodies remained on scene at 1 p.m.

The home is owned by Darrell and Noreen Iverson, according to county records.

“We don’t believe this is a threat to public safety,” Keegan said. “We are investigating it as a homicide at this time.”

He said the deaths are being investigated by the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office, Port Angeles Police Department, Sequim Police Department, Olympic Peninsula Narcotics Enforcement Team and the State Patrol crime lab.

Reporter Jesse Major can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56250, or at jmajor@peninsuladailynews.com.