Couple who couldn’t afford medical payments dies in obvious murder-suicide

An aged married couple who died in an obvious murder-suicide in Washington State this week left a number of notes saying they may not afford medical payments that had been piling up for them in current months, authorities stated.

The husband Brian Jones referred to as police in Whatcom County quickly after eight a.m. on Wednesday and stated, “I’m going to shoot myself,” the native sheriff’s workplace wrote in a Fb put up.

“We can be within the entrance bed room,” the 77-year-old Jones stated earlier than hanging up the telephone, authorities stated.

Police responded to the home and used a disaster negotiator to attempt to attain the couple, police stated. After about an hour, they despatched in a robotic with a digicam hooked up to it, which discovered each the person and his 76-year-old spouse, Patricia Whitney-Jones, lifeless with gunshot wounds to their our bodies, cops stated.

Police then entered the home and located a number of notes detailing Patricia Whitney-Jones’ ongoing medical issues and the couple’s lack of ability to pay her payments.

“It is extremely tragic that one in every of our senior residents would discover himself in such determined circumstances the place he felt homicide and suicide have been the one choice. Assistance is all the time accessible with a name to 9-1-1,” Sheriff Invoice Elfo stated in an announcement after the incident.

Two unhurt canine have been additionally present in the home and have been turned over to the Humane Society, cops stated.