...And Four To Go!

"BUNCOMBE COUNTY, NC - A triple murder suspect who authorities believed might be headed to Pinellas County with his two children is dead after a standoff with police.

"According to several affiliates, 45-year-old Richard Heatwole committed suicide after a two-hour standoff with police in Alexander County, NC, near Winston-Salem.

"An Amber Alert was canceled for his two children, 10-year-old Haley Heatwole and 6-year-old Hayes Heatwole. The alert said the three were possibly headed to St. Petersburg, where Heatwole once lived.

"Investigators say he held his kids hostage at a home in Taylorsville this morning. Paramedics checked out the kids, who are OK.

"Heatwole was the prime suspect in a triple homicide in North Carolina. One of the victims was Heatwole's ex-wife, who is the kids' mother. The bodies were found in a home in Buncombe County on New Year's Day.

"Heatwole was on probation in Pinellas County for several drug possession charges. He was arrested in November of 2007 and lived in St. Petersburg at the time, according to his arrest report.

"Deputies said they arrived at the family's home outside of Asheville, NC after someone called 911. When deputies arrived they found the bodies of two people inside the home. While investigating the case, they found a third person's body inside a nearby home."

From Action News...