Bethlehem, PA, has been grappling with tragedy since a man and a woman, subsequently identified as Sarah A. Rice, 39, and Greg A. Johnson, 42, were found dead from gunshot wounds in a home late Friday night, in what authorities believe may have been a murder-suicide, as stated by the Lehigh County Coroner's Office. Both Rice and Johnson were Bethlehem residents, Rice being discovered at the scene at the 200 block of 10th Avenue and pronounced dead at 11:22 p.m., while Johnson later died at St. Luke's University Hospital at 11:39 p.m., according to FOX 29.
Details of the investigation converged as the manner of death, and the circumstances leading up to the fatal event remain under scrutiny. Autopsies are scheduled to shed light on the official causes of death. This information was revealed by the Lehigh County Coroner’s Office. A 911 call brought authorities to the scene after a child, who had just been dropped off at the home, walked back outside alerting of an issue inside; an older adult and several children were also found in the residence unharmed following the incident, as reported by lehighvalleylive.com.
The specifics surrounding the deaths of Rice and Johnson are yet to be fully illuminated, but the presence of a firearm at the scene where both individuals sustained gunshot wounds to their heads has led officials to investigate this as a murder-suicide scenario. While the relationship between Rice and Johnson has not been disclosed, the outcomes of their autopsies, expected to be performed on Monday, January 5th, might provide authorities with a clearer understanding of the tragedy that unfolded. Meanwhile, the Bethlehem Police Department, the Lehigh County Homicide Task Force, and the District Attorney's Office are invested in uncovering the nuances of this case, as stated by NBC Philadelphia.
Three children have been confirmed as belonging to the adults who passed away, are presently under the care of other family members, two of whom were present in the home but were unharmed are possibly now grappling with the aftermath of the violence that has robbed them of their caretakers. An older inhabitant of the residence, found in a separate part of the home at the time of the incident, has been cleared of suspicion by the authorities. The community now awaits the findings of the ongoing investigation, which will hopefully address the many questions that remain about this distressing occurrence, according to lehighvalleylive.com.
