Health issues may have led to Denton murder/suicide of elderly couple

An elderly couple’s health issues may have led to a murder/suicide during the weekend in their home, police said Monday.

Joe William Bain, 79, called a dispatcher Saturday afternoon and confessed to killing his wife, police said.

When officers arrived at the home, Ruth Lenora Bains, 82, was found shot to death in the home. Joe Bain suffered an apparent self-inflicted wound and died Sunday night at Medical City Denton

Investigators found a folder inside the home with information explaining how to take care of the Bains’ affairs.

“It was reported that both Joe and Ruth had health issues that continued to decline,” Officer Shane Kizer said Monday in a news release.

A ruling on their deaths has not been made, pending an autopsy on each of them.

Police were alerted to a shooting shortly before 2 p.m. Saturday in the 200 block of Royal Oaks Place from a man who called the dispatcher.

“He said, ‘Good-bye,’ and then disconnected,” Kizer said in a weekend news release. “Officers eventually entered the residence and found an elderly woman deceased from an apparent gunshot wound.”

Police also found a man later identified as Joe Bain in the house with a gunshot wound.

Police have no other suspects in the shootings.

This story was originally published March 6, 2017 at 8:38 AM with the headline "Health issues may have led to Denton murder/suicide of elderly couple."