Possible Murder-Suicide Leaves Couple Dead

Mobile County Sheriffs Office Mount Vernon Two people were found dead outside a home on Soshee Road in Mount Vernon Thursday morning. The Mobile County Sheriff’s Office says it may have been a murder-suicide.

by Chad Petri

Published: Thu, October 15, 2009 - 3:11 pm CST Last Updated: Thu, October 15, 2009 - 6:23 pm CST

MOUNT VERNON, Alabama - This was the scene Thursday morning: investigators on one side of the street and sad friends and family were on the other.

"I heard three shots fired and I opened up the back door see if I could see anything going on, didn’t see nothing so I didn't think no more of it,” says Jimmy Byrd.

Mobile County District Attorney John Tyson Junior says Dana Byrd and Gilberto Manguia were found dead shortly after 8 am, 10/15/09. A news release from the Mobile County Sheriff’s office says the incident may have been a murder-suicide. They say the couple was found shot to death. The release says Dana Byrd had three gunshot wounds and Gilberto Manguia had one. A rifle and gun were found at the scene and the injuries match the weapons found there. Family members say the two were married with one small child.

“I thought about her baby you know that's his mama and dad, it's a tragic,” says Dana Byrd’s Cousin Mary Weaver. Dozens of people gathered along Soshee Road to find out what happened.

“All family lives on this road, aunt uncles, cousin, brothers, sisters, everybody, I mean, everybody knows everybody,” says another of Dana’s cousin’s, Lacey Weaver. She says Dana was a stay at home mom and Gilberto just a hard working man. The news release from the Sherriff’s Office says an autopsy will be performed tomorrow.

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