Richard Dale Guthrie, a 60-year-old male, was tragically killed on March 15, 2017, in Austin, Texas. Guthrie and his girlfriend, Susan Gulla-O’Leary, also 60, were found dead in the front yard of their home on Whitebead Trail, near the intersection of Ranch Road 620 and Hudson Bend Road. Both victims suffered gunshot wounds to the head, and another woman was injured but survived.
The suspect in this double homicide was identified as Randall Lee Burrows, a 54-year-old male from Lakeway,
Texas. Investigators believe that Burrows, who was involved in a business dispute with the victims, shot them before fleeing the scene in a white 2011 Ford Escape. Two days after the killings, Burrows led police on a chase in Pike County, Mississippi, and ultimately shot himself in a field outside the town of Summit.
The Travis County Sheriff’s Office, along with the Mississippi Highway Patrol and the U.S. Marshals, conducted a manhunt for Burrows. Despite their efforts, Burrows took his own life before he could be apprehended. The investigation revealed that Burrows had a history of legal troubles, including a prior arrest for murder in 1989, although he was convicted of aggravated assault and served probation for that crime.
In the aftermath of this tragic event, the family and friends of Richard Dale Guthrie organized a memorial golf tournament and scholarship fund in his memory. The tournament, held annually, aims to honor Guthrie’s passion for golf and provide scholarships to senior golfers at Lake Travis High School.
This case highlights the devastating impact of unresolved business disputes and the importance of community support in the wake of such senseless violence.
