In the late summer of 2017, the community of Morgantown, West Virginia, was shaken by the tragic death of Linda Malarkey, a 64-year-old White female. On the morning of August 10th, first responders were called to a house fire in the South Park neighborhood. Firefighters battled the blaze for several hours, and upon entering the home, they discovered the bodies of Linda and her 65-year-old husband, Steven Dennis Malarkey, in a second-floor bedroom.
Initial investigations into the
circumstances surrounding the fire and the couple's deaths quickly revealed a grim picture. The Morgantown Police Department announced that the incident was being investigated as a murder-suicide. Authorities believe that Steven Malarkey shot and killed his wife, Linda, before turning the gun on himself. A handgun was recovered at the scene, lending weight to this conclusion.
The motive for this tragic act has not been publicly disclosed. The focus of the investigation also included the cause of the fire, with early indications suggesting that it may have been intentionally set by one of the victims. The State Medical Examiner's Office was tasked with conducting autopsies to confirm the causes of death. In the end, no arrests were made as the sole suspect was also deceased. The incident left the local community in mourning and searching for answers that may never fully come to light.
