Couple Pronounced Dead At Scene After SWAT Standoff

"LIBBY, MT — A man and his wife are dead following an apparent murder-suicide that resulted in an eight-hour standoff at 1217 Main Avenue in Libby.

"At approximately 6:28 a.m. Tuesday, 911 dispatch received a call from Dale Kinniburgh Jr., 51, who said he had killed his wife, Catherine Kinniburgh, 55.

"Kinniburgh then said he was going to kill himself, which resulted in the hours-long standoff.

"`Because of some of the calls we've received in the past from this residence, we thought it was best for safety reasons to evacuate the nearby residents,` Lincoln County Sheriff Roby Bowe said.

"Several law enforcement agencies responded, including the Flathead County Special Response Team.

"`They called and asked for our help this morning,` Curry said Tuesday afternoon. `I don't think they knew at that point whether or not it was a homicide-suicide or if there was a barricade situation.`

"Other agencies responding included the Libby Police Department, Lincoln County Sheriff's Office and the Montana Highway Patrol.

"At approximately 2:21 p.m., officers entered the home and found the Kinniburghs' bodies. No shots were fired by law enforcement.

"Coroner Steve Schnackenberg pronounced the Kinniburghs dead at the scene."

From DailyInterLake.com...