Meridian murder-suicide
MERIDIAN -- The Ada County coroner has identified an elderly Meridian couple that died this week in a murder-suicide.
Coroner Erwin Sonnenberg says the victims are Reva Smith, 75, and her husband, Marshall Smith, 91.
Reva Smith died from a gunshot wound to the head, and Marshall Smith then shot himself in the head.
Around 10:40 a.m. Thursday, patrol officers responded to Spring Creek Manor on East Calderwood in Meridian for a welfare check.
Deputy Chief Tracy Basterrechea says officers went to the home after getting a call from concerned relatives who had not heard from the elderly couple for the past few days.
Officers found a car parked in the driveway and knocked on the door. After getting no answer they went inside and found the woman and her husband dead in the bedroom.
Both had gunshots wounds and investigators say the man shot the woman with a handgun and then turned the gun on himself. It appears the woman was awake when she was shot and there was some kind of struggle prior to the shooting.
The bodies may have been there for a couple of days.
Douglas Clegg, the CEO of Spring Creek Manor, called NewsChannel 7 to say that staff members alerted the couple's daughter after they did not show up for breakfast on Wednesday and Thursday. The facility serves three meals a day to its residents. A check was made Wednesday, but no one came to their door.
Basterrechea says relatives told police that the couple had been showing signs of erratic behavior lately.
Spring Creek Manor is a retirement living community. The Smiths lived in one of its condominiums.
Police are now checking up on when the Marshall Smith bought the gun.
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