The deaths of Danny Trueblood, 47, and Rebecca Trueblood, 44, have been officially ruled a murder-suicide, according to Shelby County Coroner Brad Phegley. The couple’s bodies were reportedly discovered by one of their children, who made the gruesome discovery on Wednesday morning. Phegley’s investigation revealed that Danny shot Rebecca dead before taking his own life, and that the incident likely occurred the night before.
Speaking with CBS affiliate WCIAone of the couple’s children shared that Danny had struggled with mental health issues and had previously threatened Rebecca. “He just wasn’t the best father,” the son said. “But in recent months his mental health has gotten much worse.”
The son described Rebecca as a loving mother. “She had the biggest heart and always put others before herself. “She was the definition of a mother,” he said. It was also revealed that the couple was in the process of divorcing, a fact that Danny had allegedly shared on social media.
a neighbor told him WCIA that Danny and Rebecca had been high school sweethearts and both worked as nurses. Danny also had a tattoo shop in his house. This tragedy is the second murder-suicide to devastate central Illinois in recent weeks. In a separate incident, Davontye Browder, 30, shot and killed Keisha Seeley, 28, before turning the gun on himself. Seeley’s daughters reportedly found his body.
Family members and neighbors argue that Seeley’s death could have been prevented if authorities had acted appropriately during a previous domestic disturbance. Neighbor Alexis Ramirez revealed that Browder had destroyed Seeley’s belongings just days before the murder. “He destroyed everything she owned,” Ramirez said. “A bed, a mattress, all your belongings, clothes, sentimental things. He had destroyed them all.”
Ramírez alleged that the police did not intervene. “When the police showed up, he was cutting something up and they laughed,” she said. “When Keisha finally got here, they pretty much told her, ‘You have to leave.’”
Ramirez criticized authorities for not offering Seeley remedies such as a protective order or domestic violence counseling. “They didn’t do their job,” he said. “All of this could have been avoided.” The twin tragedies underscore the urgent need to improve mental health resources and domestic violence intervention to prevent similar incidents in the future.