The death of a 2½-year-old boy in rural Saskatchewan is being investigated as a homicide — the second death of a child on the same property in the past few months.

The RCMP identified the boy as William Michael Vayro, who was living with his biological father and stepmother. Police said the boy was found dead Saturday afternoon in his home near Webb, about 25 kilometres west of Swift Current.

Five months ago, the boy's three-year-old sister died on the same property. Her drowning death was ruled accidental, police said.

Police initially said the boy's case was a sudden death. It was being investigated as a homicide following the results of an autopsy conducted Monday. Police would not release the cause of death, citing their ongoing investigation.

Officers were in the home Tuesday executing a search warrant.

Earlier, police reported that the boy had been put down for a nap in the late morning on Saturday and was discovered later that afternoon to be unresponsive in his bed.

An ambulance from Swift Current was contacted and arrived on scene shortly after 4 p.m. CST Saturday. Police said the boy was already dead.