Lumpkin authorities investigate possible murder-suicide
Posted 1:50PM on Saturday, January 31, 2015
DAHLONEGA - Lumpkin County authorities are investigating the death of two people discovered dead in their home Friday around 4:25 p.m.<br />
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According to Lt. Wesley Burnett with the Lumpkin County Sheriff's Office, deputies found a man, Thomas M. Jones, 52, and a woman, whose identity is being withheld, dead in a residence on Highway 19 North, about five miles outside of Dahlonega.<br />
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"A relative had (gone) to the house and discovered the two occupants of the house were deceased," said Burnett.<br />
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He says they aren't sure how long the two had been there, but said it likely wasn't a long time, since friends and neighbors had seen the two in recent days.<br />
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Burnett would not confirm whether or not this was a murder-suicide, but says they don't believe anyone else is involved in the case.<br />
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"The gunshot wound and the cause of death did originate from within the home," said Burnett, who added that they did recover the gun in the house.<br />
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Both people were killed by "a single gunshot wound."<br />
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Investigators are still working to determine who might have been the killer in the case.<br />
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Both bodies were transported to the GBI crime lab for autopsies; the woman's identity is being withheld until next-of-kin are notified.