MARRERO (WGNO) – Investigators in Jefferson parish are looking into a murder and suicide attempt. It happened Monday afternoon in Marrero.

Authorities discovered a woman’s body inside a burning home.

WGNO News Reporter Darian Trotter has details and reaction from neighbors who tried to help.

“I thought it was just a fire,” neighbor Lois Seidert said.

Fire crews and Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Deputies quickly found out that the flames and smoke coming from1705 Jutland Drive in Marrero were not from an ordinary fire.

Sadly, around one o’clock Monday neighbors found out too.

“I went out to my garage and I saw the black smoke coming and the boy next door, he was walking then he took off running. And I called my husband, I said come quick there’s a house on fire,” Seidert said.

“It wasn’t just a pot brewing on the stove type fire. It was enormous. I mean clouds and clouds of black smoke shooting through the roof. It was bad,” another neighbor said.

The smoke was so bad, several neighbors trying to help, were forced to give up.

“It was too much for me to intake without harming myself. So I immediately backed away,” he explained.

When fire fighters entered the home they discovered a female victim with stab wounds to the chest, and a male victim with stab wounds to his neck.

Family members are distraught because the female was pronounced dead at the scene.

The male was rushed to the hospital with critical injuries.

“When the fire fighters first discovered the male victim lying on the floor near the hallway he had a know lying under his body. The female was found toward the rear of the home,” Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office Spokesman John Fortunato said.

Investigators believe the fire was deliberately set as a cover up.

“It looks as though this may turn out to be a murder and attempted suicide,” Fortunate added.

Trotter asked the unidentified male neighbor, “Any signs of trouble at the home before? No not that I know of. So safe to say this is surprising to you? Yeah it is, definitely,” he replied.

“It’s just frightening. I mean you think you’re safe and something like this can happen in your own neighborhood,” Seidert said.

The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office has not released the names of the victims.

An investigation into the case is ongoing.