Updated

Friends and relatives of a Texas man who shot his family and then himself say that he was hallucinating and growing increasingly violent because he was off his medication.

But no one was sent to the rural home in Cleveland, Texas, until about 8 p.m. Saturday.

When police arrived at the house north of Houston they found the bodies of 43-year-old Oliver Bills Jr., his girlfriend 27-year-old Shara Torres, her 4-year-old daughter Sara Whitmire and his adopted mother 71-year-old Gloria Bills.

Authorities say they called several times to check on the family's well-being before discovering the grisly scene.

Capt. Carl Jones said the initial non-emergency calls indicated Bills was sick but had no history of violence.

Jones said his office had four squad cars Saturday and was swamped responding to a major vehicle wreck.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.