Salt Lake police are investigating an apparent murder-suicide of a man and a woman found Monday night who six months ago were badly injured in a fire in their west-side home.
Police withheld the identities of the man, 48, and the woman, 32, who lived at 1534 S. 10th West, pending notification of family members, Police Lt. Steve Diamond said.A neighbor found the two dead from gunshot wounds in a bed about 10 p.m., Diamond said. A handgun of unknown caliber was found, he said.
Police had not determined Monday night who pulled the trigger, Diamond said. The two died during the weekend but before Monday, Diamond said. The neighbor who found the bodies frequently checked on the couple but had thought they'd left for the holiday weekend, he said.
"Apparently, the woman had some expensive medical problems due to some injuries she received in a fire in the house sometime back. So, she's been in a lot of pain," Diamond said.
Investigators found no explanatory note and suspected no foul play in the incident, other than on the part of the person who shot the other, he said.
Neighbor Ed Leissring discovered the bodies and said the woman had received burns over 90 percent of her body in the fire last year. The man was also badly burned over his back and one arm, Leissring said.
"The hospital bills basically put them right in a corner, and they didn't have any place to turn," he said.
The couple had recently been traveling frequently to visit family members throughout the West, Leissring said, adding "I think they said `good-bye' to most of the family over the last three weeks."
A neighbor said the two, normally quiet people, had a loud party attended by many people Thursday or Friday night.