In the small town of Chester, Montana, the community was left in shock and mourning following the tragic death of Tanya M. LaBounty, a 42-year-old White/Caucasian female, on December 6, 2016. The grim discovery was made at her residence after the Liberty County Sheriff's Office was called for a welfare check. Inside the home, deputies found Tanya and her 47-year-old husband, Francis LaBounty, both deceased.
An investigation into the deaths determined that the incident was a murder-suicide. Authorities concluded that Francis LaBounty shot and killed his wife before taking his own life. A. 357 caliber pistol was recovered at the scene. With the perpetrator deceased, the case was considered solved, and no arrests were made as the sole suspect was also a victim in the tragic event.
Sheriff Doug Riggin officially ruled the deaths a murder-suicide, leaving a community to grapple with the devastating impact of domestic violence.
Born in Schenectady, New York, Tanya was a graduate of Ausable Valley High School. She worked as a secretary at CJI in Chester and was remembered as a devoted mother to her two sons, Francis and Ian LaBounty. Those who knew her described her as a "people person" who enjoyed going to the gym. Her sudden and violent death was a profound loss for her family, which included her sister, and for a community that was unaccustomed to such tragic events.
