WMPD investigating double shooting as murder-suicide

Man, woman found dead in latest deadly gun- related incident in community

ralphhardin@gmail.com After only four homicides through the first five months of 2022, the City of West Memphis saw that number double in the month of June, including victims number seven and eight on Monday.

The latest violent incident in the commounty ended with two people dead after what police are treating as a likely murder-suicide.

West Memphis police officers responded to a shots fired call on Madison Avenue just after 12:30 a.m.

Upon entering the residence, they found two gunshot victims. The pair, a man and a woman, were pronounced dead at the scene.

WMPD investigators say they have identified the female victim as Nedra Barnes. Family members have identified the male victim as Curtis Moore.

Detectives say the evidence is leading them to believe that the shooting was possibly a murder-suicide. They believe Moore shot and killed Barnes then turned the gun on himself. They haven’t said what motive Moore might have had for killing Barnes and then committing suidice.

According to reports, Moore’s family members said Barnes was his girlfriend. They said the two of them had a good relationship. Moore’s widow (the couple were separated but still legally married) Patricia Malone Moore, said she doesn’t believe the allegations. She was married to him for 17 years and told Memphis news reporters, “Even though we were separated I still had love for him. He was never aggressive to me and I can push him to the limit. I’m that type of person. I’ll push you to the end. So, if I pushed him to the end and nothing ever happened he wasn’t like that.”

Moore’s family say they believes a third person may have been involved.

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