On a summer day in Keene, New Hampshire, the quiet life of a beloved retired teacher came to a tragic end. Donna Janosz Fairbanks, a 70-year-old woman, was found deceased in her Hurricane Road home on June 16, 2026. Her death was the result of gunshot wounds to the head and chest. The circumstances of her passing were grim, revealing a story of domestic violence that concluded in a murder-suicide.
Authorities were called to the Fairbanks' residence to conduct a welfare check, and upon
entering, they discovered both Donna and her 72-year-old husband, Chandler "Chip" Fairbanks, deceased. The New Hampshire Attorney General's Office confirmed that Chandler Fairbanks shot and killed his wife before turning the gun on himself. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner officially ruled Donna Fairbanks' death a homicide and her husband's a suicide. Investigators believe the tragic events unfolded inside their home on the same day they were discovered.
Donna Fairbanks was a well-regarded figure in the community, having dedicated decades of her life to teaching math at Keene Middle School, where she began in 1980. Even after her retirement, she continued to work as a substitute teacher. Her commitment to education was recognized in 2016 with an Exceptional Teacher Award from the Keene Board of Education. She was remembered as a passionate educator who had a deep impact on her students. She and her husband had been married since July 19, 1980, and were known to enjoy traveling together. The case concluded with the identification of the perpetrator as the victim's husband, and as he took his own life, there were no arrests or subsequent legal proceedings.
