Divorce Court Appearance Cancelled Due To Murder/Suicide

"MADISON, WI — Jennifer Boyce and Bernard Grosso were to have been in court on Friday to officially end their marriage. Instead, their lives ended before they ever got to the courthouse as a result of what Madison police categorized as a domestic-related murder/suicide.

"Police discovered the body of Boyce, 31, Thursday morning at her apartment on Madison's Far East Side. That led police to look at her estranged husband, Grosso, 34, who was found dead Thursday night of an apparent gunshot wound when police searched his home at 3802 Atwood Ave.

"The Dane County Medical Examiner's Office had not officially identified the two victims or determined the causes of death as of Friday afternoon.

"`Certainly, we can speculate that this pending divorce hearing may have played a part in the motive,` Madison police spokesman Joel DeSpain said. `But we'll never know that for sure.`

"Boyce and Grosso, who were married in 2008 in St. Louis, had filed for divorce last March. She moved into her apartment in July.

"DeSpain said the couple had no record of domestic violence.

"Boyce's stepmother, Dixie Boyce of Ballwin, Mo., said there was no indication of physical violence in their relationship. She said Grosso `had hurt her very badly psychologically` before she left him, but `Jennifer said that he wouldn't hurt her.`"

From the State Journal...