In the quiet city of Pontiac, Michigan, a tragedy unfolded that left a family shattered and a community in mourning. Latrece Shanna Harper, a 33-year-old woman, was found deceased in her home on the evening of Thursday, October 30, 2025. The grim discovery was made by her stepdaughter at approximately 7:30 p.m. in their residence located in the 300 block of South Marshall Street.
Latrece was found on a couch, having sustained a single gunshot wound to her head.
The investigation into her death quickly led authorities to her long-time live-in boyfriend, 41-year-old Clifford Torrell Noel Jr. Just fifteen minutes after Latrece's body was found, police in the neighboring Bloomfield Township were called to the area of Square Lake Road near Telegraph Road. There, they found Noel slumped over the wheel of his car. He had suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound from what was described as an AR-15 style rifle and was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
Investigators from the Oakland County Sheriff's Office concluded that the incident was a murder-suicide, stemming from an argument between the couple who had been in a relationship for about a decade. The couple had five children together, ranging in age from four to fifteen. The children were not present at the time of the incident and were later found unharmed at a motel in Rochester Hills. Child Protective Services was contacted to arrange for their care. While police believe the tragic events were a result of domestic violence, family and friends of Latrece expressed shock, stating they were unaware of any history of abuse in the relationship.
