Husband, wife found dead in Chesterfield murder-suicide
Police: It appears husband shot wife, set fires, then shot himself
Posted: Saturday, March 16, 2013 12:00 am
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Updated: 12:07 am, Sat Mar 16, 2013.
A husband and wife who police said were having marital problems
were found fatally shot inside their burning home late Thursday as the
apparent result of a murder-suicide.
The bodies of the couple, identified as Walter M. Hester Jr., 50, and his wife, Clara M. Morgan-Hester, 46, were discovered on different floors of their two-story house after firefighters responded to a fire inside at 11:30 p.m., police said.
Investigators said evidence suggests Hester shot his wife and set several fires in the residence before turning the handgun on himself. Family members told police that one of the two had discussed leaving the other, and police said they believe that prompted the events leading to the shootings and fire.
Police said they could find no documented history of domestic violence at the family’s home, which is in the 2000 block of Castle Glen Court, just off Providence Road West and a short distance north of Rockwood Park.
Chesterfield police Lt. Randy Horowitz said the weapon used was a handgun that police believe was Hester’s. The couple had a teenage son who was not home at the time of the shootings and is now staying with relatives, Horowitz said.
The family had lived at the cul-de-sac home since purchasing it in 2004, county real estate records show.
But it went into foreclosure Oct. 25, according to listings on Richmond BizSense.com.
Hester was self-employed doing landscaping and yard work; Morgan-Hester worked for an area bank, Horowitz said.
Chesterfield firefighters were called to respond to reports of a house fire late Thursday, and the first units on the scene found smoke and fire coming from the structure. The blaze was brought under control in 20-25 minutes, said Lt. Jason Elmore with Chesterfield Fire & EMS.
“The fire was in several areas of the house. It wasn’t contained to one area,” said Elmore, who added that the areas where fire was found were not adjoining.
Elmore said the bulk of the fire was just inside the front door, although investigators were continuing their attempts to establish the point of the fire’s origin.
“We don’t have a specific area of origin right now,” Elmore said early Friday morning. “It’s possible there could be multiple origins.”
After the fire was brought under control, firefighters were able to begin an interior search of the house, and they found the two bodies.
“I believe one was on the first floor and one was on the second,” he said.
As investigators worked at the scene, broken windows were visible on the first and second floors, and there was fire debris and torn vinyl siding outside the residence, including a pile just outside the front door.
Yellow police tape surrounded the home, which is in a neighborhood of well-maintained colonials and Cape Cods.
Several neighbors said they were stunned by the deaths of the Hesters, whom they described as a fairly typical married couple.
“They were very quiet,” said Lara Leyendecker. “I never heard them arguing. They kept their yard nice and their house nice.”
“This is just really … ” she said, her voice trailing off. “What can you say?”
jmackena@timesdispatch.com
(804) 649-6331
mbowes@timesdispatch.com
(804) 649-6450
Staff writer Reed Williams
contributed to this report.
The bodies of the couple, identified as Walter M. Hester Jr., 50, and his wife, Clara M. Morgan-Hester, 46, were discovered on different floors of their two-story house after firefighters responded to a fire inside at 11:30 p.m., police said.
Investigators said evidence suggests Hester shot his wife and set several fires in the residence before turning the handgun on himself. Family members told police that one of the two had discussed leaving the other, and police said they believe that prompted the events leading to the shootings and fire.
Police said they could find no documented history of domestic violence at the family’s home, which is in the 2000 block of Castle Glen Court, just off Providence Road West and a short distance north of Rockwood Park.
Chesterfield police Lt. Randy Horowitz said the weapon used was a handgun that police believe was Hester’s. The couple had a teenage son who was not home at the time of the shootings and is now staying with relatives, Horowitz said.
The family had lived at the cul-de-sac home since purchasing it in 2004, county real estate records show.
But it went into foreclosure Oct. 25, according to listings on Richmond BizSense.com.
Hester was self-employed doing landscaping and yard work; Morgan-Hester worked for an area bank, Horowitz said.
Chesterfield firefighters were called to respond to reports of a house fire late Thursday, and the first units on the scene found smoke and fire coming from the structure. The blaze was brought under control in 20-25 minutes, said Lt. Jason Elmore with Chesterfield Fire & EMS.
“The fire was in several areas of the house. It wasn’t contained to one area,” said Elmore, who added that the areas where fire was found were not adjoining.
Elmore said the bulk of the fire was just inside the front door, although investigators were continuing their attempts to establish the point of the fire’s origin.
“We don’t have a specific area of origin right now,” Elmore said early Friday morning. “It’s possible there could be multiple origins.”
After the fire was brought under control, firefighters were able to begin an interior search of the house, and they found the two bodies.
“I believe one was on the first floor and one was on the second,” he said.
As investigators worked at the scene, broken windows were visible on the first and second floors, and there was fire debris and torn vinyl siding outside the residence, including a pile just outside the front door.
Yellow police tape surrounded the home, which is in a neighborhood of well-maintained colonials and Cape Cods.
Several neighbors said they were stunned by the deaths of the Hesters, whom they described as a fairly typical married couple.
“They were very quiet,” said Lara Leyendecker. “I never heard them arguing. They kept their yard nice and their house nice.”
“This is just really … ” she said, her voice trailing off. “What can you say?”
jmackena@timesdispatch.com
(804) 649-6331
mbowes@timesdispatch.com
(804) 649-6450
Staff writer Reed Williams
contributed to this report.
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