Police have released the identities of an Apple Valley couple who died in a murder-suicide Wednesday evening.
Alan Lee Josephson, 49, fatally shot his wife, Lynn Marie Josephson, 56, in the head before turning the gun on himself, according to investigators and autopsies performed by the Hennepin County medical examiner.
A neighbor reported hearing several "bangs" around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, the same time frame in which medical officials believe the couple died. Officers arrived the next morning to perform a welfare check on the residents, who have lived in the home since 1996, according to property records.
Police found the Josephsons' bodies with a .38 caliber handgun nearby, authorities said. Crime scene analysis indicated that Alan Josephson fired multiple times at Lynn, striking her twice. He shot himself in the head soon after.
Friends and family described them as a happy couple but said Alan struggled with depression. Police called the level of violence surprising since the only contact authorities had with the residence involved routine calls.
Neither spouse appears to have a history of violence.
"It is important when you find yourself or someone you know growing uncomfortable or concerned for their safety in a relationship, to seek help," said Apple Valley Police Chief Jon Rechtzigel.
