UPDATE: On Sunday police identified the two deceased people as 65-year-old Dianne Cook and 61-year-old Barri Cook, both of Avon. The Cooks, police said, had been legally divorced since 2019 but continued living together in the same residence.
A preliminary investigation indicates that there was an altercation in the home that led Barri to shoot Dianne “multiple times.” Barri then subsequently died from what an apparent gunshot wound, police said. Original story below:
HENDRICKS COUNTY, Ind. — Police are conducting an investigation into a murder-suicide in Hendricks County.
Police were sent to a home in the 10200 block of E. County Road 100 South around 9:15 Saturday morning for a welfare check. A family member told police they were unable to reach a loved one after the person had not shown up to work for several days.
Once officers arrived, a family member was helped by a sheriff’s deputy to gain entry. When deputies got inside, they said it was evident that a crime had occurred.
“We backed everybody out and secured the scene and cleared the house for safety,” Hendricks County Sheriff’s Capt. Amanda Goings said.
Two people inside the home, a man and a woman, were discovered deceased. Police believe they were both residents of the home.
Police said there were no signs of forced entry, but that there was “significant visible trauma” to both of the deceased people’s bodies. Exact causes of death have yet to be determined.
“A preliminary investigation is showing that this is a homicide with a suicide afterwards,” Goings said. “We believe that the female was killed and the male is the one who committed suicide.”
Goings added that the deceased man and woman, who were described as “older,” were found in separate bedrooms.
“It’s almost like you got separate crime scenes within the home and those need to be processed with detail,” Goings said.
According to the police investigation, it is believed the two individuals were potentially married but estranged or divorced while still living in the same home.
