Wednesday night, The Knox County Sheriff's Office released the names of the couple found dead inside a home in Halls.
Authorites are investigating the deaths 50-year-old Jesse Baines and his wife 40-year-old Andrea Baines as a possible murder-suicide.
According to the sheriff's office, the man and woman suffered gunshot wounds in the home they lived in at 4516 Nathan Drive in North Knox County. A neighbor found a letter from the couple in his mailbox Wednesday morning shortly after 8:00.
"It said basically 'by now you already know that we're gone," said Mike Brackfield.
Brackfield immediately called 911 while the shock of receiving the letter sank in.
"(I thought) I'm not reading what I'm reading. Just like anybody, I think I reacted as normally as anyone would. I was just very shocked, being my next door neighbor," he said.
A second letter found on a car in the driveway listed next of kin and who should receive items found in a box inside the car. Those items included stereo equipment, CDs, and personal papers.
Several dogs and cats were found dead in the house and at least two of them had been shot. There was no history of
any disturbances at the address.
Investigators were still searching for the cause of the fire Wednesday evening. Crews at the scene said the entire house was charred and identifying the origin would be difficult.
"The whole incident has been very suspuscious from the get-go, including the fire," said Jeff Devlin, Rural Metro Fire Department Battalion Chief.
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Officials with the Knox County Sheriff's Office said two bodies were discovered inside a Halls home Wednesday morning.
Authorities from several agencies had been surrounding the house on Nathan Drive for several hours. Rural/Metro officials told 10News they had information that someone inside the home may have been intending to harm themself. There was evidence of a fire inside the home.
Officials attempted to send a robot inside the home to check it out, but something was blocking the door. Around 11 am, firefighters kicked open the door, and entered the house. Inside, they discovered the body of a man and a woman inside. One body was in the bedroom, the other in the bathroom. There was also evidence that a fire had been started inside the house.
Martha Dooley with the Knox County Sheriff's Office said they believe the bodies are of the homeowners, but they have not been positively identified.
No one else was inside the house. Officials were going to send a robot into the garage to investigate a vehicle parked inside.
Stay with 10News and WBIR.com for the latest on this developing story.
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Emergency personnel were on the scene of an incident in the Halls area of north Knox County Wednesday morning.
Rural Metro first responders, firefighters, and a Hazardous materials crew, along with the Knox County Sheriff's Office, were working a situation at a home in the 4500 block of Nathan Drive.
The incident was first reported before 9:00 a.m. Wednesday.
The street was blocked and neighbors were being asked to stay off the street.
Crews on the scene reported a fire in the structure and reported smoke billowing from the roof with fumes coming from the home.
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