In the quiet community of Bentleyville, Pennsylvania, a grim discovery was made in the spring of 2015, bringing a tragic end to the lives of a local couple. Carmine Paul Verno, a 69-year-old male, and his wife, Caryn, were found deceased in their home on Lakeview Drive. The events unfolded after a caregiver, concerned after not hearing from the couple for several days, requested a welfare check.
When authorities entered the residence, they found both Carmine and his wife had succumbed to gunshot wounds to the head.
Investigators from the state police and the Washington County Coroner's office processed the scene and determined the deaths to be the result of a murder-suicide. The coroner ruled that Carmine Verno died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after he had shot and killed his 54-year-old wife. The couple was last seen alive on a Saturday, and authorities believe they died sometime between that afternoon and the following Wednesday evening when their bodies were discovered. A weapon that matched the wounds sustained by both individuals was recovered at the scene.
Carmine Verno was a known figure in the local business community, owning Carvern Productions, Inc., an advertising and public relations firm. He had previously served as a state director for the Miss Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia USA pageants. In the years leading up to the tragic event, public records indicated that Carmine had been involved in two lawsuits stemming from separate incidents in which he sustained head and other injuries. His wife, Caryn, had been a party to these lawsuits, citing a loss of her husband's companionship. The lawsuits were reportedly settled out of court. The investigation concluded that Carmine Verno was the sole individual involved in the death of his wife, and with his own passing, the case was closed.
