A Washington state man died from suicide after he was interviewed by investigators over his wife’s mysterious death 40 years ago.
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office says that in January 1983 Randal “Randy” McEvers, called 911 to report that his wife, Nancy McEvers, had killed herself.
The 28-year-old, who had a one-year-old son, suffered a gunshot wound to the head and was pronounced dead at the hospital, says the agency.
Mr McEvers reportedly told investigators different versions of what had happened, and the autopsy and forensic evidence concluded that the gunshot wound was not self-inflicted.
The case was suspended in August 1983 after Mr McEvers stopped cooperating with investigators and they ran out of leads.
But 39 years later the sheriff’s office reopened the cold case and developed a string of new leads to pursue.
The sheriff’s office says that its forensic team and the Oregon State Police Crime Lab confirmed that the original ruling that it was not a suicide was accurate. Investigators also spoke to 20 people, including now 70-year-old Mr McEvers in January.
After the interview with him, the case was referred to the Washington County District Attorney’s Office for review. But officials say that before the DA had a chance to carry out that review, Mr McEvers killed himself.
“The 40-year-old cold case into the death of Nancy McEvers is now closed,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
Nancy is survived by her son, two sisters and her mother.
