In the quiet community of East Cobb in Marietta, Georgia, a shocking discovery unfolded on the evening of December 18, 2013. Sherrie Jane Newton, a 46-year-old White woman, was found deceased in her home on Post Oak Tritt Road. Her husband, Marty L. Newton, made the harrowing discovery around 5:30 p.m. when he returned home to find his wife and another individual, 26-year-old Bryan Bunch, both dead from gunshot wounds. He immediately contacted the authorities, setting in motion an investigation into the tragic events that had transpired within the residence.
When Cobb County police arrived at the scene, they found no signs of a forced entry. The initial assessment by the Crimes Against Persons Unit quickly led them to believe they were dealing with a murder-suicide. The evidence at the scene suggested that Bryan Bunch was the perpetrator, having shot Sherrie Newton before taking his own life with a single gunshot to the head. The Cobb County Medical Examiner's Office was tasked with officially determining the cause and manner of death for both individuals. The community was left reeling from the violent incident that took the life of a beloved wife and mother, survived by her husband and son, Cody.
As investigators delved deeper, the relationship between Newton and Bunch became a central question. Sherrie's husband told police that he did not know Bryan Bunch. Initially, there was speculation that Bunch might have been a construction worker who had recently done work at the Newton's home. However, a more disturbing picture began to emerge from friends of Sherrie. One friend revealed that Newton had a brief and unsettling encounter with Bunch at a gym the year prior. He had reportedly asked her out on a date, and she declined, stating she was happily married. Soon after this interaction, Sherrie changed her phone number and, according to the friend, had no further contact with him. This information suggested that Bunch, who lived only a few miles away and had no prior criminal record, may have been a stalker. The investigation painted a grim picture of Sherrie's final moments: Bunch allegedly entered her home through the garage while she was upstairs packing for a business trip, walked up the stairs, and shot her multiple times in the back before turning the gun on himself.
