PORTLAND — An Oregon man fatally shot a woman before killing himself in what investigators believe was a murder-suicide agreement between two people under investigation for embezzlement, authorities said Thursday.
The bodies of Lisa Malone and Leonard Forster, both 48, were found by relatives at a home on Bull Mountain, near Portland. Multiple weapons also were discovered.
The couple did not leave a note, but the circumstances suggest some type of suicide pact, Washington County sheriff’s Detective Robert Rookhuyzen said.
He said there was evidence of heavy drug use by the couple that had no apparent history of domestic violence.
Concerned relatives visited the three-story home late Wednesday because they had not heard from the couple, Rookhuyzen said.
From the bottom floor, they spoke with the couple upstairs. The relatives then heard a loud gunshot and thought it possibly came from a television.
From upstairs, Foster and Malone both assured them they were fine and didn’t want to talk, authorities said.
The relatives then called 911. While on the phone, they heard more gunshots, described as muffled. The 911 dispatcher did not hear gunshots.
Rather than go upstairs, the relatives left the home as deputies arrived.
Deputies saw lights inside the home being turned off and decided they had no legal right to enter. Phone calls to the home were not answered.
Early Thursday, the relatives went back into the house and found the bodies.
Investigators were not yet sure if the same gun was used in both deaths. Autopsies were scheduled.
Malone worked as a bookkeeper at Fahey Machinery Co. and Foster worked there as a service manager.
Tualatin police spokeswoman Jennifer Massey said the company owner filed a complaint this week that a truck and nearly $35,000 had been stolen.
The owner had been suspicious of Malone after the company registered a loss and she declined a request to print out financial reports.
Then, she and Foster stopped coming to work.
“Mr. Foster sent an email on (Monday) saying ‘we have an illness in the family and we’re going to be out of town. Cellphone service is spotty at best where we’re at. We’ll call when we can,’ ” Massey said.
Massey said evidence of embezzlement included cash advances off of Foster’s company credit card and 10 fraudulent checks.
