ORONO — Police said the deaths of a woman and her 5-year-old son at a home in Orono were an apparent murder-suicide.

Police Chief Correy Farniok said Tuesday that authorities conducted a welfare check Monday night after the boy was not returned to his father. Officers found the 47-year-old woman and her son hanging in the basement of the home.

Farniok said the boy’s father and the woman had joint custody of the child.

Court documents say the woman who is listed as owning the house was involved in a custody battle with the boy’s father.

The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s office will release the names of the woman and child.