By MELANIE PLENDA
Union Leader Correspondent
Thursday, Aug. 19, 2010
CHARLESTOWN – Domestic violence is the reason for the murder-suicide that ended the lives of a couple that were found in their Charlestown home Thursday morning, authorities said.
Police found the couple shortly before 5 a.m. when they responded to a 911 telephone call that came from the residence, said Senior Assistant Attorney General Jeffery Strelzin. Authorities did not release the names of the two in order to contact relatives; at least one resides outside the country.
A firearm was involved in the incident, Strelzin said.
Neighbors of the couple said they moved from Connecticut about a year and a half ago, but owned the property longer than that.
"It was my understanding it was where they planned to retire, but something happened to trigger them moving early," said June Sweetsir, of 185 Sam Putnam Road. She lived just down the road from the couple -- Sweetsir estimated about half a mile away -- but said they weren't very close and couldn't quite remember their names but that it was an unusual name.
"I never met him, but I did meet her," Sweetsir said. "She was very nice, very quiet, very laid back. I got the impression like she didn't know anybody in town and was trying to get out and meet people." She described the woman as being in her late 40s or early 50s.
Sweetsir said her father heard what sounded like a gunshot first thing this morning. The next thing she noticed were two state troopers and two town police heading up the road.
"We definitely knew something was up; we just weren't sure what," Sweetsir said.
One of the neighbors said police had the road blocked off for most of the day, but were keeping everything very quiet.
Word spread around town quickly, said Sharon Kinney, a cashier at Ralph's Supermarket on Main Street.
"People have been coming in and talking about it all day. I don't know what's real and what's rumor, lots of rumors going around. People are just saying it was a murder-suicide is all. But not a word on a name," she said.
She described it as a dirt road, but a lot of people live on it.
"We're a close community," she said. "This is big news for a small town."
Strelzin said an autopsy is scheduled for Friday, and once he has the results of the autopsy, he will release the results along with the identities.
"We typically try to make a reasonable effort, a day or two (to notify family)," Strelzin said. "We're trying to be respectful."
Authorities obtained a search warrant during the day, and investigators will gather information about the murder-suicide. That information will be turned over to the Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committee to see what can be done to prevent future murder-suicides.
While some murder-suicides involve domestic violence, others involve couples who are experiencing financial, health or emotional problems.
Strelzin said this is the third murder-suicide in New Hampshire this year.
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