Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Springfield, MO: Woman Fighting For Her Life After Murder-Suicide Attempt

A 60-year-old man is dead and his 55-year-old wife is fighting for her life after what deputies describe as a murder-suicide attempt.

The last report investigators received was that the victim is in critical condition late Tuesday afternoon.

Investigators say the call came in to 911 around 5:45 this morning. The couple had only been married a few years but family members told investigators that it was not a happy marriage. Witnesses say the two had been arguing a lot lately--including during the night.

"The couple had been having some problems," Captain Kevin Nickson told 5NEWS.

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Deputies say the victim's husband shot her before turning the gun on himself. The man was already dead when deputies arrived on the scene. His wife was still barely alive.

"He has made threats in the past according to family members of taking her life,” Nickson said. “They didn't take it seriously. Apparently he attempted to do it this time."

The Laotian couple was staying with a friend of the woman's daughter's at the home on West Highway 10.

"Suspect and the victim used to run a chicken farm in the Logan County area and some kind of way they lost that,” the captain explained.

Nickson says that only added strain to their struggling marriage. The victim's daughter found her mother and step-father after hearing what sounded like a drawer slamming. Deputies believe it was a gunshot. The woman had been shot in the head and was lying on a mattress in the floor. The man had also been shot in the head and was lying on the bed.

A neighbor said the commotion woke her up early Tuesday morning.

"I noticed the lights and stuff across there,” she told 5NEWS. “I don't know if it was police cars or ambulances. Our neighborhood is nice and quiet usually."

She last saw the couple at a garage sale at about a month ago.

The couple’s daughter, two children, and the homeowner were also in the house at the time. Police are not releasing the suspect and victim's names.

Deputies believe the 22 rifle belonged to the suspect. Investigators expect to close the case quickly.

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