| August 21,
2003 |
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| Detectives Investigate Possible Murder/Suicide |
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| Investigators responding to an early morning
house fire today found a man and woman dead inside their eastern Burke County
home. |
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| The case may be a murder/suicide after gunshot
wounds were discovered to the heads of the husband and wife, Burke County
Detective Lt. John Suttle said. |
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| The victims, William Gay Pope and Linda Carolyn
Pope of 7469 Burke County Line Road, had a history of domestic troubles,
investigators said. |
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| According to Suttle, one of the Pope's neighbors
heard a gunshot around 3:30 a.m. and went out to investigate. The neighbor
reportedly found the Pope's house on fire and contacted 911. |
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| The fire was extinguished by the Icard Township
Fire Department before major damage to the structure occurred, Suttle
said. . |
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| Authorities believe from the initial stages of
their investigation that William Pope shot his wife and then shot himself, a
detective's news release said. The investigation is continuing. |
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| The Burke County Fire Marshal's Office is also
involved with the case, along with the State Bureau of Investigation |
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