In a tragic turn of events that shattered a quiet Erie, Pennsylvania neighborhood, 41-year-old Tanesha M. Harkless and her 63-year-old mother, Dorothy J. Harkless-Gilkey, were discovered deceased in their home on East 8th Street on the morning of Saturday, March 24, 2018. The grim discovery was made by a family member who had come to check on them.
Responding to a 9:22 a.m. call, Erie Police officers entered the residence to find a devastating scene.
Both Tanesha and Dorothy had sustained fatal gunshot wounds. Also found at the scene was Tanesha's significant other, 64-year-old James C. Stepp, who was also deceased.
The investigation by the Erie County Coroner's Office swiftly brought clarity to the sequence of events. Coroner Lyell Cook determined that Stepp had shot and killed both Tanesha Harkless and Dorothy Harkless-Gilkey before turning the gun on himself. The deaths of the two women were officially ruled as homicides, and Stepp's death was ruled a suicide. This conclusion painted a dark picture of a double murder-suicide, stemming from what authorities believe to be a domestic dispute. The community was left to mourn the loss of a mother and daughter, whose lives were abruptly and violently cut short.
