In the summer of 2013, the quiet community of Salem, Virginia, was shaken by a tragedy that unfolded within a home on Ferrum Drive in the Homeplace Salem subdivision. Bonnie Anderson Hager, a 51-year-old Caucasian woman, became the victim of a domestic violence incident that ultimately claimed her life. On August 22, her husband, 55-year-old Timmy Hager, shot her before turning the gun on himself in a devastating murder-suicide.
Emergency services arrived at the scene to find a grim scenario. While Timmy Hager was deceased, Bonnie Anderson Hager was still alive, though critically injured. She was rushed to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital, where medical personnel fought to save her. Despite their efforts, she succumbed to her injuries later that day, leaving behind two college-aged sons and a community in mourning.
The investigation into the incident concluded that Timmy Hager was the sole perpetrator of the crime. As he took his own life, there were no arrests made or other suspects sought in connection with Bonnie Hager's death. The case was closed as a murder-suicide. Timmy Hager was known in the area as the owner of an accounting business in downtown Roanoke. The tragic event was noted as part of a concerning trend of domestic murder-suicides that had occurred in the Roanoke Valley that year, prompting local officials to address the growing issue.
Bonnie was remembered by friends as a caring and sweet lady who always had a smile and treated people with warmth and friendship. Her funeral services were held at Central United Methodist Church, and she was laid to rest in Highland Burial Park in Danville.
