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Brother: Man Driven To Brink By Brutal Custody Battle

FAIR OAKS, Calif. (CBS13) -- The death of a father and his 2-year-old daughter following an AMBER Alert last week came as a result of a bitter custody battle that left the man broken, according to his brother.

Mourad "Moni" Samaan, 49, and his 2-year-old daughter, Madeline Samaan-Fay, were last seen just a day after Mourad lost joint custody of his daughter to his wife. A week later, on Saturday, Sheriff's deputies found their bodies inside Samaan's missing green Toyota on his remote El Dorado County property.

The FBI has not released the cause or time of death for the two, pending the completion of autopsies.

The tragic end stands at odds with how family and neighbors described Samaan, calling him a loving and dedicated father who dedicated as much time as possible to raising Madeline.

"As far as a father, he was the best father I know," said Nabil Samaan, Mourad's brother.

Nabil said Mourad sounded defeated on the day he disappeared, depressed by the custody ruling and fear of losing all contact with Madeline.

"I think he was devastated enough to where it was imminent," Nabil said, adding that he does not justify the death of a child, but, "I perceive it more as, Moni saved the child from a future with a tyrant."

CBS13 was unable to reach Madeline's mother for comment Sunday.

The FBI is continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the case.

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