In the quiet community of Fountain Hills, Arizona, a tragedy unfolded in July of 2015, leaving friends and family mourning the loss of 41-year-old Sandra Kualis. A woman known for her kindness and giving nature, Sandra's life was cut short in what authorities would later describe as a murder-suicide. Her body was discovered inside her home alongside that of her husband, Lawrence Reed, who was 45 years old.
The grim discovery was made on the morning of July 22, 2015, by a delivery driver
who noticed the front door of the couple's home was open. When there was no answer, the driver alerted the authorities. Deputies from the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office arrived at the residence on Centipede Drive to find both Kualis and Reed deceased inside. Investigators later confirmed that both had died from gunshot wounds.
As the investigation progressed, the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office announced that they were not searching for any suspects in connection with the deaths. The evidence uncovered at the scene led detectives to believe that Lawrence Reed had shot and killed his wife before turning the gun on himself. The incident, which shocked the otherwise peaceful neighborhood, left many unanswered questions for those who knew the couple. Neighbors reported that Kualis and Reed had recently been renovating their home.
Sandra's mother, in the depths of her grief, remembered her daughter's excitement about her marriage and the life she was building. She recounted the last text message she received from her daughter just two days before her death, a loving message that ended with 'sleep with the angels.' It is this sweet and caring nature that those who knew Sandra Kualis now hold onto as they remember a life taken too soon.
