In a tragic sequence of events on a Friday in June of 2014, Matthew Boutwell, a 46-year-old male, was involved in a domestic dispute that ended in a murder-suicide in Forrest County. The incident spanned two separate locations, beginning in the morning and concluding hours later with two lives lost.
The quiet of a Hattiesburg morning was shattered when Matthew Boutwell went to the home of his ex-wife, Darlene Moran Boutwell. An altercation ensued, culminating in Matthew shooting Darlene.
Following the shooting, he fled the scene, leaving Darlene critically injured. Emergency services were called, and she was rushed to a local hospital for treatment.
Later that same day, the search for Matthew Boutwell came to a somber end. Authorities located him at a different residence in the Petal area. Upon their arrival, they discovered that Matthew had taken his own life, dying from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The community was left to grapple with the devastating outcome of the day's events. In the wake of the tragedy, Darlene Moran Boutwell also succumbed to her injuries. As the perpetrator in the murder-suicide, Matthew Boutwell was the sole suspect, and with his death, the investigation into the violent episode was concluded. There were no arrests made in connection with the case.
