NC Woman Catherine Muench ID’d As Victim In Friday Newport Murder-Suicide Mark Muench ID’d As Shooter

CARTERET COUNTY, NC. (THECOUNT) — Catherine Howard Muench of Newport, North Carolina, has been identified as the victim in an apparent murder-suicide in Carteret Friday.

Mark Andrew Muench, 55, was reportedly occupying a vehicle with his mother, when for unknown reasons, he shot her to death before turning the gun on himself Friday in Newport.

According to authorities, police responded to a residence, located at 563 Gales Creek Road in Newport, to perform a welfare check. The home was was found to be unoccupied. A short time later, officials located a vehicle belonging to the mother on Sam Hatcher Road near Nine Mile Road.

At that time, two people were found inside the vehicle suffering from gunshot injuries.

Both victims were pronounced dead at the scene.

“The driver of the vehicle was in possession of a handgun and a suicide note with an identification card that was attached to his chest,” Detective Sgt. Greg Mason said, according to reports.

Investigators are calling the incident a pre-planned murder-suicide.

The deadly incident remains under investigation.

DEVELOPING::

Geo quick facts: Carteret County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2010 census, the population was 66,469. Its county seat is Beaufort. The county was created in 1722 as Carteret Precinct and gained county status in 1739 – Wikipedia.