Salt Lake City, UT: Family: No sign of trouble between pair found dead in apparent I-80 murder-suicide

Family members of a Salt Lake City couple found dead in an apparent murder-suicide on Interstate 80 say the couple appeared happy and had never hinted there was any trouble in their relationship.

Utah Highway Patrol troopers found Felipe Rodriguez, 37, and his wife, Iris, 32, dead from apparent gunshot wounds to their heads inside an SUV at about 9:30 a.m. Friday. A citizen who saw the SUV leave the highway initially reported a possible crash to police.

"We don’t know how this happened. We have a lot of questions," Iris Rodriguez’s aunt Anna Barahona said Friday evening. "We don’t have any information and what police said was very brief."

Felipe and Iris Rodriguez had been married 14 years and leave behind a 13-year-old daughter, Samantha, Barahona said. The couple’s daughter was at school at the time of the shootings, she said. 

Family members were gathered at the home of Iris Rodriguez’s parents in Salt Lake City trying to make sense of what had happened, Barahona said. The couple had dinner on Thursday with family and did not appear to be having problems, nor was family aware of any unusual financial pressures, she said. 

"Iris was a very happy person, very loving, very caring," said Barahona. "Felipe we know as her husband, and he was also always very happy. He didn’t seem to me like he would do something like this."

Police have provided few details about the shooting. and a motive for the incident remained unclear Friday night.

UHP Cpl. Todd Johnson said troopers found the SUV off the side of the highway underneath an intersecting Interstate 215 overpass, not far from Salt Lake City International Airport. 

"There are two dead adults, the female driver and a male passenger. Both appear to have gunshot wounds to the head, so we’re looking at this as a possible murder-suicide," Johnson said Friday morning. 

Johnson said there was no crash involved, as had been reported earlier.

Gainesville, FL: Couple found dead in apartment identified

The two people found dead in their Tower Oaks Glen apartment Thursday afternoon have been identified as Mary Ellen Dunnigan, 44, and Steven R. England, 46.

Their bodies were discovered by the apartment complex’s painter and England’s co-worker.

“I saw him laying in bed with a shotgun between his legs and blood everywhere,” he said.

Alachua County sheriff’s spokesman Art Forgey said there will be further investigation into the deaths, but as of now, the deaths are being called a murder-suicide.

“Autopsies were conducted this morning and we are still waiting general information from those still continuing forensics testing, Forgey said. “We have a few more interviews to conduct to make an official ruling on this.”

Forgey said England killed Dunnigan and then himself.

The couple had a volatile relationship, Forgey said. Police were called to their home three times starting on Oct. 11, 2012 for different domestic incidents.

On that date, England was arrested and told police that he did not want to live anymore, Forgey said.

The complex’s property manager Karen Baird said England walked out of work and told a different maintenance man he was going home to load a shotgun.

“He said if anyone came to his house he would blow their brains out,” she said.

North Tonawanda, NY: Buffalo-area woman, 23, charged with killing boyfriend during argument in their apartment

NORTH TONAWANDA, New York — A 23-year-old woman has been charged in the fatal stabbing of her boyfriend inside their Buffalo-area apartment.

Police in the city of North Tonawanda tell local media outlets that a police officer responding to a report of a domestic disturbance Wednesday night found 24-year-old Ralph Stone suffering from a stab wound to the chest.

The officer aided Stone at the scene, but he died before he could be taken to a hospital.

Officials say Stone's girlfriend, Jennifer Marchant, stabbed him with a kitchen knife. She was charged with second-degree murder and is being held in the Niagara County Jail without bail after pleading not guilty.

Police aren't commenting on what led to the stabbing.

Authorities say Marchant had acted in adult movies and worked as a collector for a suburban Buffalo bill collection agency.

Kiln, MS: Hancock County sheriff: Man killed sister during dispute with ex-girlfriend in Kiln

KILN — Hancock County Sheriff Ricky Adam says 21-year-old Kevin Boudreaux is in custody after allegedly shooting and killing his sister, 20-year-old Janelle Boudreaux.

Adam says the shooting happened during a dispute in Kiln.

Relatives told WLOX TV the dispute started after the suspect ran into his ex-girlfriend at the Pass Christian parade.

The suspect reportedly wanted to reconcile and asked the ex-girlfriend to come to the Kiln home.

When the ex-girlfriend arrived at the house, authorities say the two began arguing. That’s when the family said Janelle Boudreaux stepped in to break up the argument and was shot by her brother.

It was unclear whether Kevin Boudreaux has an attorney.

Utica, NY: Utica man killed girlfriend in apparent murder-suicide, shot ex-girlfriend the day before

UTICA -- Utica Police have identified the two bodies found at 815 McVean Street in West Utica. Utica police Lt. Michael Zdanowicz, Criminal Investigation Division Commander, confirms that they were the bodies of 37-year-old Jerry McNair and his on-again, off-again girlfriend, 36-year-old Petra Gonzalez.

It appears to be a murder-suicide, according to police. Gonzalez was found in the bedroom with a gunshot wound to the back of the head, and McNair was found dead in the living room with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Police think the girl who was strangled with a USB cord and shot in the back of the head on February 5^th was McNair’s current girlfriend, and may have found out about his relationship with Gonzalez.

The victim has not been identified, and is in critical but stable condition in a Utica hospital.

Utica Police searched for McNair for about 24 hours, eventually being told he was in the McVean Street home. They tried to reach McNair for hours, but never made contact.

The Emergency Response Team had to force their way into the home. That’s when they found Gonzalez and McNair.

Police think the handgun used in the murder-suicide may have been the same one used to shoot the previous victim who survived.

Canon, GA: Woman in well died of strangulation, blunt head trauma

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The body found in an abandoned well Saturday has been positively identified as Bonny Cooner of Canon, the GBI said Monday.

Cooner’s cause of death was strangulation with blunt head trauma, said Kris Sperry, Georgia’s chief medical examiner.

Her boyfriend, Brent James Shubert, was arrested early Sunday in Anderson, S.C. He is charged with malice murder, aggravated assault and concealing a death. He is awaiting extradition to Georgia and additional charges could be filed, the GBI said.

Cooner, 33, was reported missing Jan. 28 by a family member.

Information uncovered during the investigation led the GBI and Franklin County authorities to the secluded well on Casey Road in Canon. Cooner’s remains were recovered and transported to the GBI Crime Lab in Decatur for the autopsy.

Atlanta, GA: Police: Man shot, killed estranged wife as she drove off

ATLANTA (CBS ATLANTA) -
A woman was shot to death in her car in southwest Atlanta Monday night, and police say their suspect is her estranged husband.

Detectives said they believe Dondrelle Moultrie fired several shots through the driver's side window of the woman's car and then drove off. It happened in the 2700 block of Emerald Court.

An investigator in the Fulton County Medical Examiner's Office identified the victim as Melanie McQueen-Moultrie, 35, of Atlanta. A spokesperson with Piedmont Hospital confirmed that she was employed at the hospital, but did not say in what capacity.

"It's crazy," said neighbor Andre Turner. "For him to do something like that, I'm really surprised, I'm really shocked about it. The lady seemed like a quiet lady to me. It seems like something like that would never happen around here."

After McQueen-Moultrie was shot, her car collided with a mailbox before coming to a stop.

Detectives said they believe Dondrelle Moultrie fled the scene off in a 2008 teal Chevy Silverado truck with Georgia tag BCQ8516.

Both the Atlanta Police Fugitive Squad and U.S. Marshals are searching for Moultrie.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts is urged to call the Atlanta police homicide unit at 404-546-4235.

Miami, FL: Florida man confesses to killing wife, won't reveal where body is

A South Florida man arrested in the murder of his vanished wife allegedly confessed to killing her, but didn’t say where her body is, Miami-Dade police said Monday.

Jesus Maqueira, 54, who was arrested Friday on charges of first-degree murder and aggravated stalking in the death of Raquel Maria Calderin, 42, is being held on no bond, online jail records said Monday night.

"Maqueira did not tell detectives where the body is, what he did with the body. He just said he killed her,” Miami-Dade police Detective Alvaro Zabaleta said.

An arrest affidavit said that when Maqueira was confronted by investigators about his inability to explain the evidence against him, he allegedly replied, “Look, I killed her, so take me to jail.”

He laughed at investigators when they pressed him but refused to provide details, according to the affidavit.

Maqueira’s attorney, Adrián Nuñez, could not immediately be reached for comment Monday.

Detectives said that five months ago, Calderin filed to divorce Maqueira, her husband of more than 20 years. Maqueira showed up at Gloria Floyd Elementary School, where Calderin worked as a custodian, and begged her to drop the divorce proceedings, detectives said.

After their verbal dispute, Calderin became very upset and was sent home at 9:30 that night, according to police. She has not been seen since.

"She was on the phone talking to somebody. The phone line went dead. And there hasn’t been activity on the phone line since then,” Zabaleta said. “There hasn't been any activity on her bank accounts. People haven’t seen her, (she) has missed social gatherings.”

As the case was handed to homicide detectives, a man who said he was Calderin’s boyfriend told NBC 6 that he was furious about the police investigation, claiming that no one was doing anything.

But police said they did. They said they put up fliers and followed up on leads, but then the case went cold.

"When you have a missing loved one, you want to find her,” Zabaleta said. “And when you're not getting concrete answers from investigators, you seem to think that nothing’s being done.”

Police began to investigate Maqueira, and said they found from cell phone records that he was in the immediate area of the school when Calderin disappeared.

Police spoke with the couple’s three children as well. Investigators determined that at some point Maqueira tried to “coach” the children about the case, the affidavit said.

But when Maqueira came in for questioning, he gave numerous conflicting statements that were disproven by the children’s statements and the phone records, according to the affidavit. He then allegedly confessed, police said.

Biloxi, MS: Biloxi man arrested in wife's death

BILOXI — Biloxi police say a 53-year-old man is accused in his wife’s death by suffocation and assaulting an officer during a domestic disturbance call.

The Sun Herald reports Correy James Dartez was arrested Wednesday on a charge of murder of his wife and a charge of aggravated assault on a police officer.

Sgt. Christopher De Back says Dartez was taken to Harrison County jail on a $1.25 million bond set by Justice Court Judge Albert Fountain.

Harrison County Deputy Coroner Charles Wise says 52-year-old Victoria Lynn Dartez was found in the couple’s apartment.

De Back says when police responded to the Dartez apartment, they were confronted by Correy Dartez, who was wielding a kitchen knife.

Houston, TX: Houston man charged in wife's death

A southwest Houston man remains behind bars after police said he killed his wife and seriously injured his teenage stepson over the weekend.

Lawrence Clinton Chambers, 40, was charged on Tuesday with murder and injury to a child, authorities said.

Detectives said he killed his wife, Jemal Lockridge Chambers, 43, and seriously injured his 13-year-old stepson late Sunday at the family's home in the 2800 block of Tidewater.

The woman's daughter became suspicious because her mother's car wasn't in the driveway. She had a key and went inside, discovering her mother's body and the boy in a bedroom, police said.

Jamal Chambers was pronounced dead at the scene. Her son was taken to Texas Children's Hospital in serious condition, police said.

Knob Noster, MO: NW Missouri husband charged in wife's death

A report of a northwest Missouri woman committing suicide led to a second-degree murder charge against her husband.

Johnson County authorities say they received a call Saturday afternoon about 24-year-old Danielle R. Garcia shooting herself at her home in Knob Noster.

The Kansas City Star reports deputies sent to the home found Garcia dead on the kitchen floor with an apparent gunshot wound to the head.

Further investigation led to the arrest of Anthony Garcia, who was charged with one count each of second-degree murder and armed criminal action. His bond was set at $250,000.

Kershaw, SC: Kershaw man facing murder charge in wife's death

KERSHAW, S.C. — Authorities say a Lancaster County man has been charged with murder in the shooting death of his wife.

Deputies say 62-year-old Joseph Daniel Hilton called authorities just before midnight Monday and admitted he had killed his wife.

Authorities found 59-year-old Deborah Faile Hilton inside the couple's Kershaw home. She had been shot once, and no one else was inside.

Hilton surrendered to authorities and told investigators he shot his wife during an argument. He was being held at the Lancaster County jail, and it wasn't known if he had an attorney.

Port Richey, FL: Pasco woman caught in deadly love triangle

PORT RICHEY — In a line of chairs on the front porch, five children watched the fire Tuesday evening. The belongings of the man who killed their mother smoldered in two grill basins in the yard. Orange light flickered in the shadows of Albert Lane's face as he told the story about the woman he loved.

He and Tina Diane Lane, who went by Diane, divorced last June. Albert, 56, took up living with his friend Rex Shelton at a small house 5 miles away. About two months ago, he said, Diane started dating Shelton.

Diane, 37, broke it off three weeks ago, said her daughter, Ann Lane, 21.

Diane and Albert went to lunch at a McDonald's in Tampa two weeks ago. They talked. He said they fell back into love.

In the meantime, Shelton, 56, began writing her notes, texting repeatedly and harassing her. Albert caught wind of it and told Shelton to pack his bags and leave.

Shelton planned to move to Atlanta, but he'd need money. He asked Albert for help with one last painting job to help raise the funds.
• • •
On Monday morning, they were scheduled to paint a house on Ranch Road.

Diane called Albert at 6:45 a.m. and asked him over for coffee and to talk. He said he kissed her and told her he loved her. She told him to get a move on and help Shelton with the job so he'd leave.

He and Shelton were painting the house until 9:15 a.m., when Shelton announced he needed 5 more gallons of paint to finish the garage door. Albert watched him pull out of the driveway in his truck.

Shelton should have been gone only a few minutes.


Albert waited there for six hours.
• • •
Just before 2:30 p.m. Monday, Ashley Lane, 15, walked from Gulf High School to her home at 6018 Maplewood Drive. She and her older sister, Ann, noticed something strange through the window to the garage.

Shelton's body hung by the neck from a rope in the rafters. He wore only boxers. He was up to his elbows in blood.

They called 911, but couldn't get into the house.

New Port Richey police officers would later break in to find Diane bludgeoned to death in her bedroom.

Emergency crews arrived and flooded the small street. The family huddled in a driveway across the street from their house and wept in each other's arms. Albert heard from a friend about the news and was taken to the home he shared with Shelton.
• • •
On Tuesday night, they sat on the porch and burned Shelton's belongings and remembered Diane, their mother, his former wife.

"She was a beautiful woman," Albert said. "She could just touch me with her fingers and I would melt. Her smell would just reverberate in me."

Price, UT: Man, wife killed in apparent murder-suicide, police say

PRICE — A couple is dead in what Carbon County investigators are calling an apparent murder-suicide. Authorities said a man called the Price Utah Public Safety Dispatch just before 3 a.m. on Sunday to report that he shot his wife and intended to shoot himself. Officers from various police agencies responded to a residence in the area of 600 West 300 South in Price.

Four children were safely removed from the residence as officers attempted to make contact with the husband and wife who remained inside.

A Carbon County Sheriff SWAT team entered the residence and discovered the bodies of 37-year old David Scott Donaldson and 32-year old Shaniel Kaye Donaldson in the master bedroom.

The investigation by Price Police Department and the Utah State Medical Examiner's Office is ongoing. The children — who were not physically harmed — are in the custody of family members.

According to Price Police Captain Bill Barnes, there had been no history of "domestic discord" in the home, making the incident all the more surprising.

"From the outside, it certainly came out of the blue," he said. "It's a shock to everybody that knew them. It's very horrific!"

A woman who identified herself as a relative of David Donaldson and who spoke on condition of anonymity said the couple had some marital problems over the years, but she would have never guessed that something like this would have happened.

“Last night, things seem to be okay, but what happened between then and 3 o’clock in the morning we just don’t know,” she said. "(There is) definitely shock and disbelief. It’s just a tragedy for everyone.”

Bethel Township, PA: Police ID couple killed in murder-suicide

Authorities on Tuesday identified the elderly couple killed in a murder-suicide the day before in Delaware County.

Adolph Markiewicz, 89, and Louise Markiewicz, 91, were found dead 3:40 p.m. Monday by their son in their township home on Princess Anne Drive near Naamans Creek Road, Bethel Township Police Chief Thomas Worrilow said.

Worrilow declined to say which spouse fired the fatal gunshots. They were married for more than 60 years and lived in the township for five decades, and both were in "failing health," he said.

Englewood, NJ: Family of slain Englewood mom, daughter calls for end to domestic violence

ENGLEWOOD – Funeral services Tuesday for a mother and daughter allegedly murdered by the woman’s boyfriend served as a clarion call to escape abusive relationships and to put a halt to domestic violence.

“This tragedy has happened to wake us up,” said the Rev. Lester W. Taylor Jr., pastor of Community Baptist Church, where more than 800 mourners came to pay respects to Tam Marie “Tammy” Pitts-Gaddy, 40, and 5-year-old Natasia “Tay Tay” Gaddy.

Pitts-Gaddy was stabbed to death last week by her boyfriend of three years, according to authorities, who said he then used a plastic bag to suffocate the little girl because she saw him argue with and kill her mother. The suspect, Michael C. Brady, a 34-year-old custodian from Teaneck, was charged with two counts of murder and is being held on $2 million bail.

Addressing the mourners, Taylor said prayer will not stop the domestic violence that has been rampant in the African-American community for years. He urged women not to settle for a relationship that puts them in harm’s way because they think they can’t do better.

“That is not God’s design or will for your life,” he said.

He then turned his message to men, calling domestic violence “evil” and telling men “your religion is in vain, it means nothing” if they abuse their wives or partners.

“We’re not strong men because we can raise our fists,” he said. “To assault a child is another level of evil.”

Pitts-Gaddy’s and her daughter’s bodies were found in their apartment at 276 W. Palisade Ave. on Jan. 29 by relatives who had questioned Brady about their whereabouts when they had been unable to get in touch with them. Brady who is accused of killing them on Jan. 28, broke into the apartment at the relatives’ urging and feigned surprise at finding them dead, authorities have said.

Taylor announced the creation of a domestic violence prevention campaign through Crowned with Glory International Ministries in Englewood, where Pitts-Gaddy’s sister, Angele Frazier-Tanner, is a pastor and where Pitts-Gaddy served as a youth leader, choir director and outreach minister.

The campaign, called the T&T Initiative – for Tammy and Tay Tay – aims to provide shelter for abused women and children in the Englewood area. Ushers at the service passed out envelopes for mourners to use to send contributions.

Elaine Meyerson, executive director of Shelter our Sisters, the largest domestic violence service agency in Bergen County, said Englewood has one of the highest domestic violence rates in the county, with 261 cases of domestic violence reported to police in 2010, the most recent year statistics are available.

“We would be thrilled to work with them,” Meyerson said. “The more people who recognize and work toward ending domestic violence will make this a better county and a better world.”

At the service, Frazier-Tanner implored victims of domestic violence to seek help before it is too late.

“Words cannot express the pain we’re feeling right now,” she said. “I am sounding an alarm through the deaths of these two – GET OUT!”

Her words filled the overflowing church where clergy from all over the region joined the community to support Pitts-Gaddy’s family. The service drew local officials, including Englewood Mayor Frank Huttle, his wife, Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri-Huttle, and police Chief Arthur O’Keefe.

Some mourners were overcome with grief upon seeing mother and daughter in matching white coffins. Pamela Taylor of Englewood remembered Pitts-Gaddy “coming in and out of my house” as a young girl who befriended her daughters. She described the “hurt and horror” she felt when learning how she and her daughter died.

“I knew her from Head Start all the way through Dwight Morrow” high school, she said. “Her and her baby were of this community. It’s like a family. It’s like a village. We love each other.”

Andrea Pitts, Tammy’s sister-in-law, told the crowd how Natasia, who was in kindergarten at D.A. Quarles Early Childhood Center, loved to color, sing and dress up her dolls. Pitts-Gaddy, the youngest of four siblings, worked for the John Lucky Bus Company in Hackensack.

“Tam had a spirit that drew people to her,” Pitts said. “She was well known as a fun, outgoing, energetic neighborhood auntie who everyone loved and could count on.”

While the wake was mournful, the three-hour funeral service was often a rousing celebration of life, with hundreds of people dancing and clapping, raising their hands and voices to stirring up-tempo music.

“This is a time to galvanize,” said the Rev. Michael McDuffie of Mighty Sons of God Fellowship Church in Paterson. “There is strength in numbers.”

Burial in Maple Grove Cemetery in Hackensack followed the service.

San Antonio, TX: Nonprofit fights domestic violence in honor of murder victim

SAN ANTONIO -
The Kristine Meza Foundation, a San Antonio nonprofit foundation dedicated to fighting family violence, remembered its namesake Monday on the second anniversary of her death.

Kristine Meza, described by family and friends as a ray of light, was killed by her ex-boyfriend two years ago as she was headed to work.

The pair had been in an abusive relationship, according to Meza's family, in which her boyfriend would hit her repeatedly.

She left him, and just days later, was shot dead.

Family and friends decided her death would not remain merely a tragedy, however, and decided to do something about it.

"So we created the Kristine Meza Foundation," said Anastacia Isaac-Salazar, one of the foundation's founders. "We are dedicated to being a resource for domestic violence victims in this community."

Isaac-Salazar said their message centers around making sure victims know there are people who care and can help them before it's too late.

"This is such a huge issue in San Antonio, and while some people say it's too big to be beaten, we plan on making a difference one life at a time," said Isaac Salazar.

Columbus, GA: Names, new details released in Columbus murder suicide

COLUMBUS, GA (WTVM) -Two families are in mourning after a couple was found dead at a south Columbus business Tuesday afternoon.

Gonzalo Garcia, 38, is believed to have shot his fiancée 27-year-old Victoria Jacquez in the head and then himself, becoming the fifth homicide this year.

Garcia was a captain assigned to the 199th infantry regiment here at Fort Benning. He moved here from Fort Bliss, Texas with Jacquez in October.

 Authorities say Garcia used a 40-Caliber Smith and Wesson hand gun to commit the crime, and Jacquez didn't even know it was coming.

It's still unclear why Garcia took his fiancée's life and then his own. Authorities say they did not find a note on the scene.

News Leader 9's Brittany Dionne went back up to the scene Wednesday to try to speak with the employee that found the couple but they declined to comment on the case.

Of course we will continue to follow this story and bring you details as they become available.

Johns Creek, GA: Sikh family, including two young children, found dead in suspected murder-suicide in Atlanta suburb

A Sikh family found dead in an Atlanta suburb on Monday morning were the victims of an apparent murder-suicide, police say.

The bodies of Shindiver Grover, 52, his wife Damanjit, 47, and their two sons, Sartag, 12 and Gurtej, 5, were found in their first-floor apartment in Johns Creek, Ga., at around 11:30 a.m. Monday, according to local reports.

Police said one of Damanjit's co-workers alerted authorities after she didn't show up for work, local WSBTV reported.

Johns Creek police Chief Ed Densmore described the apartment as a "complicated" crime scene, and they weren't sure how the victims died.

It didn't appear that any shots were fired, Densmore said.

The nature of the murder - the city's first since it was incorporated in 2006 - was troubling to even the most senior investigators, Densmore said.

"We are all human. We’re all parents. We have families," Densmore said, according to local CBS News.

"You deal with something like this, it will take a little bit out of you, of course."

Friends who gathered to mourn at the family’ Gurdwara, a place of worhip in the Sikh faith, said they couldn't fathom that Shindiver or Damanjit was responsible.

"With the family values we have in India, with two small kids, I mean, nobody can hurt their own children," said neighbor Bashir Farishda told WSBTV.

Harvey, LA: Victim shot 6 times in Harvey attempted murder/suicide

Authorities say a 48-year-old man shot the mother of his children six times before taking his own life with a gunshot wound to the head early Wednesday morning in Harvey. The Jefferson Parish coroner's office has identified the deceased as Adrian Adams of Harvey.

The victim, Brandy Perry, 34, was treated at a local hospital for gunshot wounds to her arms, chest and ear, according to relatives. She is expected to recover.

The shooting occurred at Perry's two-story residence at 2704 W. Catawba Drive, Harvey, while the pair's three children, ages 13, 12 and 9, were in nearby bedrooms.

The shooting stemmed from an ongoing quarrel over Adams' unemployment, according to Glen T. Boyd, spokesman for the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office. Adams allegedly woke Perry from her sleep around midnight to argue. He armed himself with a pistol when she tried to remove him from the house, Boyd said.

Perry then tried to call 911 for help, but Adams opened fire, striking her six times. Perry ran to one of her children's bedrooms and barricaded herself inside, Boyd said. Adams fired twice through the door. Perry told authorities she heard only one more pop, the sound of Adams shooting himself in their bedroom, Boyd said.

Stunned relatives, including Perry's father, mother and sister, were with her at the house late Wednesday morning helping to clean blood from her bedroom. Brandy Perry was too upset to talk about the shooting.

Her mother, Julia Nickerson, of Gretna, said she and other relatives received a frantic call about the shooting from Perry's children just after midnight. By the time they arrived, Sheriff's Office officials had already secured the scene.

Relatives aren't sure what set Adams on his homicidal rage. Nickerson, was said the two had arguments, but nothing that would have indicated this level of violence.

"I didn't think the man was capable of doing something like this to her or to anyone else," Nickerson said.