Soldier Kills Wife, Daughter Before Shooting Himself

"ANCHORAGE, AK - A Fort Richardson soldier recently back from Afghanistan shot and killed his wife and 8-month-old baby before turning the gun on himself in a failed suicide attempt, Anchorage police said Tuesday.

"Preliminary autopsy findings revealed Spc. Kip Lynch, a 21-year-old military policeman, was the person responsible for the double homicide discovered Monday morning at the family's South Anchorage apartment, police spokesman Lt. Dave Parker said.

"After killing his family, Lynch shot himself in the head, according to police. He remained hospitalized in critical condition on Tuesday with injuries that have precluded him from communicating with detectives.

"The carnage was found Monday morning after two military police officers went to the apartment to find out why Lynch had failed to report to work. They knocked on the door of his home in the 9900 block of William Jones Circle and got no answer, so a landlord let them in about 7:30 a.m., police said.

"They found the bodies of Lynch's wife, 19-year-old Racquell Lynch -- who goes by Kellie -- and the couple's daughter, 8-month-old Kyirsta Lynch, both of whom had been shot.

"`It was horrifying, just horrifying,` Parker said. `I just can't understand that kind of behavior.`"

From The News Tribune...