Police say two dead in apparent murder-suicide

VANCOUVER, Wash. - A male and a female were found dead in a home Wednesday in what police are calling an apparent murder-suicide.

Police said shortly before 2 p.m. a child found the bodies of a woman in her 30s and a man in his 40s in a home near SE 30th Way and 196th Avenue.

Neighbors said the man and woman were married, but separated, and had a history of domestic violence. They said the husband moved out over the summer. Neighbors also said that the girl is the couple’s daughter.

The girl ran across the street and notified a neighbor who then called 9-1-1. The neighbor, Steve Grice, said at first he didn’t believe her but then realized she wasn’t joking.

“I’m shocked that that would happen,” Grice said. “It shocks me that people – but it is that season, the holiday season, and it is what it is. I guess there’s a lot of distraught folks losing jobs and everything, and it causes a lot of tension.”

The identities of the couple aren’t being released until family members are notified and the girl is with other family members.

Police said a gun was recovered at the scene.

The home is in a relatively new subdivision near the border of Vancouver and Camas that neighbors say is safe, quiet, and great for families.

This is the sixth case of murder-suicide in the Portland area since Nov. 4 with the number of deaths totaling 15 people.