On May 1, 2015, in Dubuque, Iowa, 20-year-old Miranda M. Hogan, a White/Caucasian female, was found deceased in a residence located at 2425 Roosevelt Street. Alongside her was the body of 27-year-old Andrew J. Birch. Both individuals had sustained fatal gunshot wounds.
Responding to a call from a concerned relative who had discovered the scene, Dubuque police officers entered the home to find the two deceased individuals.
The initial investigation into their deaths was launched, and the residence was processed for evidence. A gun was recovered from the scene. The bodies of both Hogan and Birch were transported to the State Medical Examiner's Office for autopsies to officially determine the cause and manner of their deaths.
The investigation by the Dubuque Police Department soon led them to suspect the incident was a murder-suicide. Further details emerged outlining a troubled relationship between Hogan and Birch, who had been living together. Reports indicated that the couple had an on-again, off-again relationship and had recently broken up. Hogan had been in the process of moving out of the shared residence with plans to attend school in Indiana.
The investigation concluded that Andrew J. Birch was the sole suspect in Miranda M. Hogan's death. It was determined that Birch shot and killed Hogan before turning the gun on himself, resulting in his own death. No arrests were made as the perpetrator was deceased. The motive for the murder-suicide was attributed to the couple's recent separation and Hogan's impending move.
