In the quiet city of Plattsburgh, New York, a grim discovery shattered the morning calm on February 10, 2014. Ann Marie Cashman, a 61-year-old woman, was found deceased in the bedroom of her Maryland Road home. The chain of events leading to this tragic finding began when a newspaper carrier, on their early morning route, noticed a chilling note affixed to the front door of the Cashman residence.
The note alluded to a murder-suicide, prompting an immediate call to 911.
Upon their arrival shortly after 5 a.m., Plattsburgh city police officers entered the home and confirmed the tragic scene. Ann Marie Cashman had sustained fatal gunshot wounds. The note found at the residence not only disclosed the sorrow within the home but also guided law enforcement to a second location, the city marina. There, the police department's Special Response Team discovered the body of 63-year-old Wayne C. Cashman, Ann Marie's husband. He was found with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, bringing the tragic event to a close as a murder-suicide.
The investigation that followed uncovered a motive rooted in financial desperation. It was revealed that the tragic act was preceded by issues of embezzlement, which police believe led to the devastating actions taken by Wayne C. Cashman against his wife and himself. The community was left to grapple with the shocking violence that had unfolded in what many perceived as a loving home.
