A tragic Indiana newlyweds murder-suicide incident occurred early Sunday in northeastern Vigo County just hours after the couple had been married. On Wednesday, authorities revealed details of the Indiana newlyweds murder-suicide incident, but they added that the motive for the killing may never be known.
Evidence revealed that the husband may have shot his wife several times before committing suicide by shooting himself in the head.
According to the Vigo County Sheriff's Department, 54-year-old George Samson and 50-year-old Kelly Ecker-Samson held an after-party following their wedding reception Saturday night at a Terre Haute banquet center. The after-party was held at the couple's home and was attended by about a dozen friends and relatives.
At the time, nobody knew that the Indiana newlyweds murder-suicide incident would be taking place. Police investigations revealed that there seemed to be no visible tension between the couple earlier in the evening.
Detectives had been interviewing wedding and reception guests, hoping to find clues as to the motive behind the Indiana newlyweds murder-suicide incident, said Vigo County Sheriff Greg Ewing.
According to witnesses, George Samson left the wedding reception near the end. He had become irritated and left without his new wife. Some guests also saw the couple not talking to each other during the after-party, reports the Associated Press.
Investigators said that despite interviews, it still remains unclear as to what prompted the argument leading to the apparent Indiana newlyweds murder-suicide.
"The investigation has revealed that there was a verbal argument between the couple toward the end of the reception, which carried over to the after-party at the couple's home," Vigo County Chief Deputy Sheriff Clark Cottom told the Indianapolis Star via email.
"Shortly after the last guest left at around 1:17 a.m., Kelly Ecker Samson called 911 reporting that her husband had threatened to kill her. There were a total of three very brief 911 calls, which in the first the caller disconnected," he further cited.
It appeared as if the husband had started the Indiana newlyweds murder-suicide, but Cottom said there wasn't a man's voice on the recorded 911 calls which could indicate George Samson was the killer.
Copies of the 911 call have been released to news media as a matter of public record, said Ewing. Apparently, a media outlet requested for the recordings. However, Ewing said the 911 recordings from the Indiana newlyweds murder-suicide are not evidentiary in this case.
"There's nobody to ask," said Ewing when he was questioned about a possible motive for the Indiana newlyweds murder-suicide.
"We're talking to attendees at the wedding, but we will never know the reason why," he added.
According to the Tribune Star, the only people present in the home at the time of the Indiana newlyweds murder-suicide were the couple, the husband's elderly parents and the wife's son, who is younger than 12.
Ewing said the three other people did not witness any argument leading to the Indiana newlyweds murder-suicide shootings.
Kelly made the first of four 911 calls in the house at around 1:20 a.m. on Sunday, according to a sheriff's department report.
She reportedly told a dispatcher that her husband had threatened to kill her. However, she was unable to provide the house's correct street address, which was a couple miles east of Terre Haute.
During the final call leading up to the Indiana newlyweds murder-suicide incident, a dispatcher heard screams and multiple possible gunshots in the background, reports Fox News.
When deputies arrived at the scene of the Indiana newlyweds murder-suicide, they found Kelly Samson dead in a bedroom. She suffered from gunshot wounds to the head and chest. A SWAT team later said that George Samson was found dead in the basement from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. The two elderly parents of George and Kelly's son were safely removed from the house.
According to police, George Samson, an anaesthesiologist at Union Hospital, used a .45-caliber handgun to kill himself. Kelly Ecker Samson is also employed at Union Hospital, but as a registered nurse in the intensive care unit.
After the Indiana newlyweds murder-suicide, it was revealed that 90 to 100 guns - including rifles, handguns, silencers and fully automatic weapons - were found by investigators in an ammunition store in the house, said Ewing.
George was reportedly listed by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives as a current federal firearms dealer. As of the current moment, the guns are seized for safekeeping, said Ewing.
Meanwhile, Cottom did not specify the reason for the couple's argument prior to the Indiana newlyweds murder-suicide shootings. However, it is reported that the couple fought over their prenuptial agreement during their reception. The argument escalated as the celebration was moved to the couple's mansion in Terre Haute, reports People.com.
The Indiana newlyweds murder-suicide shootings appears to have been because of the pre-nuptial agreement, with its existence confirmed by authorities. However, its contents are still unknown. "We're still gathering statements from the attendants," said Cottom.
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