Murder and attempted suicide in Trinity Valley

LUMBY – RCMP investigators are trying to find out exactly what happened and why after a murder and attempted suicide in rural Lumby Thursday evening.

A 51-year-old woman is dead and a man is in hospital in serious condition after shooting himself.

It started at about 6:12 p.m. with the report of a disturbance at a home in the 300-block of Trinity Valley Road near Lumby.

Police found the woman’s body and the injured man in the home. The man was flown to Kelowna General Hospital by air ambulance where he remains in police custody.

“The deceased woman and the injured man are known to one another and have been in a relationship for a brief period of time,” Const. Kris Clark says in a media release. “The initial investigation has determined that there have been no previous calls to police for attendance to this property during their short relationship.”

Police are talking to Crown counsel about charges against the man.

Investigators from the Southeast District Major Crime Unit, the Vernon General Investigation Section, the E Division Serious Crimes Unit and the B.C. Coroners Service are all involved in the case. Anyone with any information who has yet to speak with police are asked to contact the Vernon RCMP at 250-545-7171 or remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

To contact the reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston at chelston@infotelnews.ca or call 250-309-5230. To contact the editor, email mjones@infotelnews.ca or call 250-718-2724.

– This story was edited at 5 p.m. to add information from neighbours and to change the photo.