Man arrested after 6 found dead at Texas campsite

ANDERSON COUNTY, Texas — A man has been arrested in the deaths of six people, including one child, in east Texas, according to authorities. 

The bodies of the six victims were found on private property outside Palestine, about 100 miles southeast of Dallas, according to the Anderson County Sheriff's Office, which called the homicide the largest in county history.

“A lot of them are family, kin to each other in various forms,” Sheriff Greg Taylor said. “They are not from this area.”

The deceased — one woman, 4 men and a boy — were staying in a travel trailer belonging to one of the victims. There was one female survivor, according to police, who have not released the victims’ names and ages.

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But three of the dead were identified by a family member as Carl Johnson, Hannah Johnson and Thomas Kamp. Kamp owned the property where the families were staying, the family member told KYTX-TV.

The suspect, identified by the sheriff's office as William Hudson, 33, owns property next to where the victims were found.

Two of the bodies were found Sunday in a travel trailer at the campsite next to Hudson's residence. Four males initially thought missing were found dead Monday afternoon in a pond on Hudson's property.

According to Taylor, the large crime scene "spans from the area of the travel trailer to a residence that is west of there, and another residence west of there,” he said. “They are all in line with each other on that road.”

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Hudson is not related to the victims, and no motive for the murders was immediately offered. He was charged with one count of murder and was being held on a $2.5 million bond. Additional charges were expected, according to the sheriff's office.

It was not immediately clear whether Hudson had an attorney who could comment on the allegations.

Hudson had been previously arrested on an assault charge.

Contributing: Greg Toppo, USA TODAY, and The Associated Press. Follow Kris Kirst on Twitter: @kristinekirst