On a quiet Sunday afternoon in Meridian, Idaho, the tranquility of a suburban neighborhood was shattered by an act of violence that claimed the lives of 47-year-old Jose "Joe" Paul De Leon and his 40-year-old wife, Heidi De Leon. A Hispanic man, Jose and his wife were inside their home on West Charles Street on January 6, 2019, when the terrible events began to unfold.
The perpetrator was identified as 39-year-old Edward Lynn Epps Jr., Heidi's ex-husband.
Armed with two handguns, Epps forced his way into the De Leon's residence. A violent confrontation ensued, during which Jose De Leon was shot multiple times in a hallway as he tried to intervene. Heidi fled to a back bedroom, but Epps forced his way in and shot her multiple times as well.
Inside the home at the time were three children. One of the children, a 13-year-old girl, managed to escape and run to a neighbor's house to call for help. Epps then held the two younger girls, aged 10 and 11, hostage. The arrival of Meridian Police initiated a standoff that involved multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Ada County Sheriff's Office, and Boise and Garden City Police.
During negotiations with law enforcement, Epps eventually released the two children unharmed. However, the standoff ended in further tragedy when Epps took his own life with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The Ada County Coroner's Office later confirmed that Jose and Heidi De Leon both died from multiple gunshot wounds. Authorities indicated that a pending court date related to a child support agreement between Epps and Heidi De Leon was a likely motive for the deadly attack. Because the sole suspect took his own life, no arrests were made in connection with the double murder.
