Thursday, March 3, 2011

Altoona, PA: Husband, Wife Dead in Murder-Suicide

By: Chris Forshey

A husband and wife are dead in what local officials are calling a murder-suicide.

The drama unfolded around 1:00AM Wednesday at a home on the 2300 Block of Ponderosa Drive in Logan Township. The victims have been identified as 66-year-old Terry Smeal and his 61-year-old wife Bonnie. Police Ron Heller says a passerby called 911 to report a well-involved house fire. Heller says when his officer arrived on scene; Terry Smeal opened fire with a gun.

“He made contact with the resident, who in turn told our officer to get out and fired two shots,” Heller said. “He [Mr. Smeal] then fired two more shots and retreated behind the residence.

More than a dozen shots were fired in all. Firefighters were told to stay away while officers searched for the gunman. Terry Smeal was eventually found dead outside the rear of the home with a self-inflicted gunshot would to the head. His wife’s body was burned beyond recognition.

A state police fire marshal is helping Logan Township Police piece together what happened.

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