Authorities in the United States city of Troy on Thursday identified two women and their children as victims of a “horrific crime” in New York state earlier this week.

The Troy police department said that Shanta Myers, her partner Brandi Mells, and her two children were found dead in their basement apartment the day after Christmas, according to The Washington Post. Myers also has an older son, who was away at a retreat during the time.

“After being in this business for nearly 42 years, I can say I have not seen savagery like this,” said local police chief John Tedesco, the Troy Record reported. “Only a person of savagery would do something like this.”

The police still do not know when or why they were killed, and have refused to reveal details of how the family was murdered. “Nobody that’s been involved in this case is going to ever forget this, I can tell you that,” Tedesco added.

The apartment building’s manager discovered the bodies after their family complained that they were not receiving phone calls. Tedesco said that the family was probably specifically targeted.

“I don’t think there’s any doubt that someone who committed a crime of this magnitude is capable of anything,” he said. “But we do not believe this was a random act.”