In a tragic event that unfolded in Canton, Georgia, 19-year-old Kathryn Leigh 'Katie' Newhouse, a male who identified as a transgender woman of Filipino heritage, died on Saturday, March 19, 2022. The Cherokee County Sheriff's Office responded to a call at a residence in the Bridge Mill subdivision around 5:45 p.m. and discovered her body, along with that of her father, 57-year-old Howard Newhouse.
Investigators determined that Howard Newhouse shot and killed his daughter before taking his own life. Kathryn's mother was present in the home at the time of the incident but was not physically harmed. The motive for the murder-suicide has not been definitively stated by authorities, though family members have pointed to a history of turmoil related to Kathryn's mental health challenges.
The family's past included documented instances of domestic strife. In April 2019, Howard Newhouse was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of simple battery for allegedly holding Kathryn down on a bed by her throat. This case was later dismissed after he completed a pre-trial diversion program. In a separate incident in January 2020, Kathryn was charged with simple battery after allegedly knocking a cup from her father's hand, causing it to strike his face. Her case was also dismissed after she fulfilled certain requirements, including writing an apology and attending a life skills course.
According to her brother, Chris Newhouse, Kathryn had a long history of mental health struggles, and the family dynamic became increasingly strained, particularly after she was released from an in-patient mental health facility just before the COVID-19 pandemic began. Neighbors reported that police had been called to the family's home on multiple occasions in the years leading up to the fatal shooting due to disturbances. The tragic deaths of Kathryn and her father concluded a painful chapter for a family that had been grappling with significant and complex challenges.
