Bruce Schaefer, suspected of killing his wife, former state Sen. Nancy Schaefer, and himself last week, apparently was not suffering from a terminal disease, as reported earlier.
Habersham County Sheriff Joey Terrell said on Monday he had found no evidence that Bruce Schaefer was ill.
"Talking with the family, talking with the daughter who sees them about every other day, they don't know anything about it," the sheriff said. "If he did, he kept [such an illness] from them."
On Friday, a state senator and physician who said he knew the Schaefers well said he believed Bruce Schaefer had cancer.
Sheriff Terrell said Schaefer left a four-page suicide note at the couple's home near Clarkesville. He also left several letters addressed to family members. There may be indications that finances played a role in the case, Terrell said, but nothing he has seen so far establishes a clear motive.
"The evidence might be in the letters. It might not," he said. "We might not ever know."
The sheriff said he is awaiting a complete GBI report but "the investigation and the autopsy results have not uncovered any evidence to indicate it was anything other than a murder-suicide."
The bodies of Bruce and Nancy Schaefer, 74 and 73 respectively, were discovered in their bed Friday evening by their daughter, who lived nearby. Evidence at the scene suggests Mrs. Schaefer was shot while asleep, Terrell said. Both were found in their bed, he said, the gun lying near Mr. Schaefer.
A GBI medical examiner determined that Mrs. Schaefer died from a bullet to the back, while Mr. Schaefer died from one to the chest. He said agents still have more interviews to conduct and forensic reports to complete before the investigation is concluded.
"You're looking at a murder-suicide where there's nobody to charge, he said. "Normally, when you have somebody to prosecute, you turn it over to the DA."
The couple had been married for 52 years and had five children.
Funeral services and visitation for the couple will be Wednesday at Ebenezer Baptist Church, 49 Rose Lane, Toccoa. Visitation will be in the Ebenezer Baptist Church Family Life Center from 9 a.m. to noon, with the funeral to follow at 1. A private graveside service for family will be at the Tallulah Falls Cemetery.
About the Author
