On September 18, 2015, 81-year-old Betty Jane Martin was found deceased in her home in a mobile home park east of Lacey, Washington. A concerned family member discovered her and her 82-year-old husband, Melvin W. Martin, in the bathroom of their residence. The ensuing investigation by the Thurston County Sheriff's Office determined that Betty Jane Martin's death was a homicide.
According to the Thurston County Coroner's Office, Betty Martin died from a single gunshot wound to the head.
Her husband, Melvin Martin, was identified as the suspect in her death. Investigators concluded that after shooting his wife, Melvin Martin then used a shotgun to take his own life. His death was officially ruled a suicide.
In the initial stages of the investigation, there was some confusion, and the Sheriff's Office had mistakenly identified Betty Martin as the shooter. However, the coroner's investigation later clarified the sequence of events, confirming that it was a homicide-suicide perpetrated by Melvin Martin. The case was closed following the determination that the sole suspect in Betty Jane Martin's murder was deceased.
