Elderly couple found with gunshot wounds in ‘possible murder-suicide’

Spokane police found an elderly couple with gunshot wounds to their heads and a handgun in the man’s hand one week ago in the Latah/Hangman Neighborhood, according to court documents.

Spokane police spokeswoman Julie Humphreys said detectives are investigating the deaths as a possible murder-suicide.

“Given my training and experience, it is possible for a staged crime scene and therefore further processing of the evidence needs to be done to eliminate that as a possibility,” Spokane police Detective Kelsey Walker wrote in search warrant documents.

The Spokane Fire Department responded to the home, listed in court documents as 629 E. Martingale Court, for a medical alarm Jan. 20, documents say. Officers were called to the residence at 11:45 a.m. after medics found the couple, a police news release said Saturday.

Spokane police Cpl. Seth Killian wrote in documents that a note on the front door of the home read, “COME IN AND GO INTO THE BEDROOM ON THE LEFT THEN CALL THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE …” Killian said the note listed two people’s first and last names and their phone numbers.

Killian wrote in court documents the dead woman had what appeared to be a gunshot wound to her head and was lying on her side at the foot of the bed, not what Killian considered a “usual position.” The man was lying on his back on the bed with a gunshot wound to his head. A black semiautomatic Glock pistol was in his left hand with his finger in the trigger guard, Killian wrote. The gun was on his chest.

Officer Nathaniel Medellin said three shell casings were on the bedroom floor.

Officer Brad Lewis found an open and empty Glock gun case on one of the laundry machines, documents say. He said he found a transparent binder in the basement office with what appeared to be instructions for power of attorney and a will dated Jan. 10.

Lewis spoke with the couple’s longtime family friend, who was one of the names listed on the note and claimed to be the couple’s power of attorney, documents say. The man told Lewis he received a 22-second call from the man who was found in the bed. The man told his longtime friend, “Emergency, emergency. Get to Bridalwood now,” documents say.

Court documents do not mention any other details about “Bridalwood.” East Bridlewood Lane connects to East Martingale Court, where the couple appeared to live.

Police said more information on the investigation will be released later. The Spokane County Medical Examiner’s Office will release the identity of the couple and the cause and manner of death, police said.