DeKALB — An NIU instructor and his sons were found dead in their Cherry Valley home Saturday morning.

The bodies of political science professor P.S. Ruckman, 58, and his sons Christopher, 14, and John, 12, were found dead in their home in what police believe is a double murder-suicide, according to a Winnebago County Coroner’s report.

The Winnebago County Sheriff Police Department responded to a welfare check request to the 4600 block of Chandan Woods Drive. Police discovered the bodies of the two minors and an adult male in their bedrooms.

Mike Schultz, Winnebago County Sheriff Department deputy chief, said police arrived at Ruckman’s home at 7:20 a.m. where they met Ruckman’s ex-wife and entered the two-story residence with a key. Police discovered the bodies with what authorities say were gunshot wounds, Schultz told reporters Saturday at the scene.

Ruckman’s ex-wife requested the welfare check when it was her weekend to spend with her sons but she hadn’t heard from them, Schultz said.

Ruckman taught courses at Rock Valley College in Rockford and was an assistant professor of public law at NIU from 1991 to 1998, according to his LinkedIn profile.

NIU spokesperson Lisa Miner said Ruckman was last employed by the university during the spring 2017 semester. He was an adjunct professor who taught an American Presidency course in the political science department though Blackboard.

Ruckman was the the editor of PardonPower.com. His commentary has appeared in various news outlets, including the Chicago Tribune and BBC, according to his LinkedIn page. He’s the nation’s leading expert in presidential pardons.

The Winnebago County Sheriff’s Department is still investigating the deaths.