Deaths of Hanford man and his wife being investigated as murder-suicide

HANFORD, Calif. (KFSN) -- A murder-suicide investigation is underway after a man and his wife were found dead in their home on Sunday.

Hanford police say 64-year-old Roger Hedrick called 911 around 8:40 am to report that he had shot his wife, 62-year-old Teresa.

Officials say Hedrick claimed his wife had come at him with a gun leading up to the shooting, and that he would "be gone" by the time officers could come to the home.

"The male then said because of this he then shot his wife in the head and that he was going to leave the front door open and to send police and that he would be gone by the time the police officers arrived on scene," said Hanford Police Lt. Justin Vallin.

Those officers found the man and woman, both shot in the head when they arrived at the home.

Authorities now identifying the suspect as 64-year-old Roger Hedrick and the victim as 62-year-old Teresa Hedrick.

Investigators say the handguns used by the couple are registered, and this is a rare situation for the City of Hanford, but that 911 call played a crucial role in their response.

"We did not get any calls for service in terms of shots heard in that area, if the individual wouldn't have called, it could've been days, weeks before anyone went by the residence to locate them and we would've never known what happened," said Lt. Vallin.

While police say they've never received calls for domestic violence at the home.

Experts point out it can be hard to identify, as victims may avoid contact and communication with others. But there can be signs the situation is escalating.

"If neighbors are here hearing arguing or loud noises that don't seem normal maybe if they are hearing gunshots or loud banging, things that just seem out of the sorts, it could alert you that somethings going on," said Joey Cox with Kings Community Action Organization.

Cox says resources are available for people experiencing domestic violence including legal services, therapy and even a shelter.

He says their main priority is making sure those who need assistance can get help no matter where they are

"People need to understand, they don't necessarily have to go into our office, we will go to them to provide services, but safety is our priority," said Cox.

Police say they are working around the clock to learn more about what led to the deadly violence at the Hedrick's home. They are now getting search warrants for the cell phones and tomorrow autopsies will be conducted.

They expect to have updates in the coming weeks.

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