In a quiet home in Lower Towamensing Township, Pennsylvania, the life of 26-year-old Megan C. Leland was brought to a violent and tragic end on January 24, 2019. A 2010 graduate of Palmerton Area High School, Megan was a vibrant young woman who had built a career in the cosmetics industry, working as a sales representative for Tarte Cosmetics and previously at Macy's.
She was known by friends and family for her compassion, her support for anti-bullying campaigns, and her belief in the beauty within everyone, often cheering for the underdog. She resided in Kunkletown with her parents and brother.
The man responsible for her death was her 27-year-old ex-boyfriend, Kyle Gruver of Fleetwood. Distraught over their recent breakup, Gruver drove to Megan's residence on Little Gap Road. Sometime between the morning and early evening, he subjected her to a brutal attack, bludgeoning, stabbing, and shooting her multiple times. After taking Megan's life, Gruver then turned the gun on himself, ending his own life in a murder-suicide.
State police were called to the home around 5:56 p.m. where they discovered the bodies of both Megan Leland and Kyle Gruver. The investigation, led by the Troop N Major Case Team, quickly determined the tragic sequence of events. Authorities assured the community that this was an isolated incident and that there was no further threat to the public. The case was closed with the identification of Gruver as the perpetrator in the murder-suicide, leaving a family and community to mourn the senseless loss of a young woman described as beautiful both inside and out.
