1 Dead, 1 on Life Support in KY

"ELSMERE, KY -- A man killed himself after shooting his estranged wife in the head Tuesday night in Elsmere.

"Elsmere Police said John Decker, 49, and his estranged wife, Terri Decker, 41, were at the home of his father on Dell Street when John grabbed a gun and shot his wife in the head. He later went to the home the couple had once shared a few hundred yards away and killed himself.

"Terri Decker was in critical but stable condition at University Hospital Wednesday. Friends said Terri was on life support and not expected to survive.

"According to friends of the couple, John Decker, 49, had hit rock bottom. He had lost his job, his home and his wife. On top of it all, he was caring for his father who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease.

"Despite their separation, police said the couple had been spending time together, raising questions about what led to the shooting."

From WLWT...

Grisly Welfare Check

"SACRAMENTO, CA - The Nevada County Sheriff's Department on Wednesday reported finding the bodies of an elderly couple in what is suspected to be a murder-suicide.

"Around noon Wednesday, the sheriff's communications center received a call from a family who lived from out of the area asking for a welfare check on an elderly couple because the family had not heard from them in several days. The couple lived in the Peardale area, according to a press release.

"Deputies went to the home and found an elderly man and woman with fatal gunshot sounds. It appears that the man shot the woman before turning the gun on himself, the Sheriff's Department said.

"The deaths are still under investigation and the names of the pair aren't being released until the next of kin has been notified and positive identification has been made, authorities said."

From the Sacramento Bee...

Mandeville murder-suicide?

"MANDEVILLE, JAMAICA- The Mandeville police are now investigating a possible case of murder-suicide following the discovery of two bodies miles apart this morning.

"The body of businesswoman Abma Smith, 39, was found at her house on Marshall’s Pen Close in Mandeville, Manchester, this morning.

"While the body of farmer Alvin James, 43, was discovered at his house in Bombay District in Williamsfield.

"The police say a family member found Ms. Smith’s body shortly after 7:00 a.m.

"They say she appeared to have been strangled as a piece of rope was found tied around her neck.

"Several minutes later, another police team was called to Bombay District where Mr James was found hanging from a breadfruit tree by a piece of rope.

"The police believe the incident was triggered by a domestic dispute."

From go-jamaica.com...

Bad Cop

"MARBLETOWN, NY – A retired state trooper assigned to the Thruway shot and killed his estranged wife early Wednesday morning and then took his own life, State Police said.

"William Cotto, 53, had entered his wife’s residence at 3657 Main Street in Marbletown around 4 a.m. armed with a shotgun and shot and killed his wife, 49-year-old Isol Cotto. Cotto them went to a parking lot at a nearby gas station and shot himself to death, police said.

"No one else at the residence was injured.

"Cotto had been arrested on misdemeanor charges for unlawful imprisonment in the second degree, menacing in the second degree and harassment in the second degree on December 30. At the time of his arrest, State Police secured all weapons known to be in Cotto’s possession. They included a shotgun and ammunition, as well as knives and billy clubs. He was arraigned and committed to the Ulster County Jail on 5,000 bail.

"At the time of the murder/suicide incident, Cotto was in violation of an order of protection as a result of the earlier charges."

From midhudsonnews.com...

Botched M/S Results in "Brutal Carnage"

"UPPER DARBY, PA. – A 20-year-old Drexel Hill woman was `butchered and slaughtered` by her former boyfriend in a domestic dispute turned deadly, according to Upper Darby police.

"Superintendent Michael Chitwood said Amber Jackson’s former boyfriend was laying in wait for her when she returned to her parents’ Drexel Hill home Tuesday night.

"Jackson, 20, a student at Delaware County Community College, was a part-time dispatcher with state police at Norristown, according to Chitwood.

"Police say they expect to file murder charges against Frederick Cleveland, 23, a sanitation worker for Lansdowne Borough. Cleveland was hospitalized in critical condition with stab wounds police believe were self-inflicted after the murderous attack.

"The situation unfolded Tuesday night on the 400 block of Foss Avenue in the Drexel Hill section of Upper Darby.

"Chitwood said Cleveland confronted his ex-girlfriend on the porch of her parents’ home. She ran in and locked the door, but he broke in.

"Chitwood says the two struggled in the living room and `continued upstairs into the bathroom, where she was stabbed and found dead on the floor.` He says the woman’s little sister hid in a closet and heard the struggle. Police say the man faces murder and other charges.

"The suspect was found lying on the kitchen floor with a stab wound to the chest.

"Chitwood indicated the crime scene was one of brutal carnage."

From the Daily Times...