In what was initially reported as a possible cardiac arrest, the tragic reality of a murder-suicide unfolded in the Otter Creek Township area, north of Terre Haute, on July 9, 2025. Deputies arriving at a vehicle on Shabur Avenue discovered the bodies of 63-year-old Kathy Ann Cunning and her brother, 59-year-old Keith Russell Chaney. Cunning, a female resident of Terre Haute, was pronounced dead at the scene from gunshot wounds.
Investigators from the Vigo County Sheriff's Office
determined that Chaney shot his sister before turning the gun on himself. Chaney was transported to a hospital in critical condition and later died from his injuries. Authorities quickly assured the public that there was no ongoing threat related to the incident.
The investigation concluded that the deaths were the result of a murder-suicide, with Keith Russell Chaney identified as the sole perpetrator. Due to Chaney's death, no arrests were made in connection with the death of Kathy Ann Cunning, and the case is considered closed by law enforcement with no outstanding suspects.
