In the quiet community of Beaver Dam, Kentucky, a tragic event unfolded on Wednesday, May 19, 2021, claiming the life of 44-year-old Nora Jeanette Leisure Owings. A former employee at TTMA, Nora was a daughter, a mother, and a grandmother whose life was cut short in a devastating act of violence that also took the lives of three of her family members.
That day, law enforcement responded to a report of shootings at a residence in the McHenry community of Ohio County.
Upon arrival, they discovered a grim scene. Outside the home, Nora Owings, her father, 66-year-old Calvin Leisure Jr., and her 20-year-old son, Hunter L. Owings, were found deceased, all having suffered fatal gunshot wounds.
As investigators worked the scene, another element of the tragedy came to light. A building near the house was engulfed in flames. After the Beaver Dam Fire Department extinguished the fire, a fourth body was discovered within the charred remains of an apartment. The victim was identified as Nora's 38-year-old brother, Calvin Leisure III.
The investigation into the four deaths led Kentucky State Police to believe the incident was a murder-suicide. Authorities suspect that Calvin Leisure III shot his sister, Nora, his father, and his nephew before taking his own life. While the motive behind the horrific event remains unclear, and may never be fully known, the investigation concluded that no outside individuals were involved. The community was left to mourn the profound loss of a family torn apart by an inexplicable act of violence.
