Husband and wife die in murder-suicide pact
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Elburn ?E.W.? Graves and his wife, Ova, both 61, were found in their Red Road home by McMinnville Police after a family friend couldn?t get the couple to answer the door. The two died from gunshot wounds to the head.
Police say the couple left a note that indicates their deaths are the result of a suicide pact, meaning the two agreed to end their lives together. Police say Mr. Graves killed his wife and then took his own life.
?The note corroborated what the scene said happened, that it was a murder-suicide pact,? said McMinnville Police Capt. Bryan Denton. ?We?ve heard there might have been some financial difficulties, maybe some medical issues that weren?t being handled well, but other than that we?re at a loss to explain why this happened.?
Police say the suicide note was written by Mr. Graves. Based on other writing samples found around the house, it appears to be his handwriting.
?As of right now, there?s nothing to indicate this was anything other than a murder-suicide,? said investigator Derwin Adcock.
The chain of event which led to the discovery of the bodies began Thursday morning when an out-of-town family member tried to reach the couple. When repeated calls throughout the day went unanswered, a family friend in McMinnville was contacted to check on Mr. and Mrs. Graves.
After pounding on the door around 9:30 p.m. and receiving no answer, police say the family friend looked through the living room window and could see a body. It was at that point 911 was called. Police arrived on the scene about five minutes later.
After officers broke down the door, both bodies were discovered in the living room about eight feet apart. A .38 caliber pistol was found in the room.
Police believe the deaths occurred earlier that day, about five or six hours before the bodies were found. Denton said officers had never responded to any domestic problems at the Graves home and described the area as a ?quiet neighborhood.?
?There?s nothing to indicate they have had any problems in the past,? said Denton.
Mr. Graves was a former Ben Lomand employee who took early retirement several years ago.