In the winter of 2018, the life of 39-year-old Tina Elease Makeupson was tragically cut short in what law enforcement officials determined to be a murder-suicide. On Monday, January 22, 2018, the grim discovery began to unfold in Gaffney, South Carolina.
Authorities were first alerted to a situation at a local business when 38-year-old Wallace Lee Hollis was found unresponsive in his car in the company's parking lot. It was noted that Hollis had not clocked in for his shift that day.
This discovery prompted officers to conduct a welfare check at the home he shared with Makeupson.
Upon their arrival at the residence, police found Tina Elease Makeupson unresponsive on the bathroom floor. Both she and Hollis were pronounced dead at the respective scenes. The Cherokee County Coroner, Dennis Fowler, later stated that it appeared Hollis had attacked Makeupson before taking his own life.
Further investigation into the couple's background revealed a history of domestic violence, a factor the coroner noted in his public statements. Autopsies were ordered to confirm the causes of death for both individuals, solidifying the conclusion that their deaths were the result of a murder-suicide initiated by Hollis. No other suspects were sought in connection with this case, and the investigation was closed following the coroner's determination.
