Police said Jill Foster, 49, had been shot in the head. Her badly burned body was identified by dental records.
Foster, her husband Christopher and their 15-year-old daughter Kirstie have been missing since a fire gutted their house in western England on Tuesday.
Yesterday police said the case had become a murder inquiry. They said the second burned body was thought to be that of a man, but it had yet to be formally identified.
Supt. Gary Higgins of West Mercia Police said a 22-caliber rifle belonging to Christopher Foster was found near the bodies.
Three horses and four dogs were also found dead at the estate in Maesbrook, 280km northwest of London. Police said yesterday the animals had been shot.
"Further tests are needed to establish whether the rifle found was the one used in the murder and to kill the animals." Higgins said.
Police have said they think the family's sprawling property was set alight in an arson attack. The badly damaged house was too unstable for officers to enter for several days, but on Friday detectives discovered two bodies inside.
Forensic officers continued to search for evidence - and a possible third body - at the secluded rural property Sunday, as special prayers were said for the family at a nearby church.
Police said they are keeping an open mind about the circumstances leading up to the deaths and the fire. One possibility is that Christopher Foster killed his family before either committing suicide or going on the run.
Police are looking into the financial dealings of the 50-year-old businessman, who ran a company that supplied insulation technology to oil rigs. The company, Ulva Ltd., had gone into liquidation, and Foster was facing large bills from creditors and tax authorities.
