Sheriff IDs victims in Weakley Co. murder-suicide
WEAKLEY COUNTY, Tenn. — A man and his wife are dead following a murder-suicide just outside Martin, according to the Weakley County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies say a man shot his wife several times before later turning the gun on himself. The incident took place in the 900 block of Highway 431 between Martin and Union City. James Bevis, 31, and his wife, Alexandria Bevis, 27, were killed in the shooting deputies are calling a domestic violence situation. Two small children were on the front porch of the home at the time the woman was shot but were taken away safely by the wife’s mother before deputies arrived, according to a release from the sheriff’s office. According to Weakley County Sheriff Mike Wilson, James Bevis was inside the home when deputies arrived around noon and refused to exit. Deputies used tear gas and then entered the home, where they found Bevis had shot himself. The husband shot himself with the same 9 mm handgun he had used to shoot his wife, according to the release. Investigators said this type of domestic violence could be prevented victims in the relationship would take a stand and reach out to authorities. “There are a lot of victims out there in the same shape, and I’d like to encourage them, after what I’ve seen today, to make that step,” Investigator Sgt. Marty Plunk said with the Weakley County Sheriff’s Office. The sheriff said the couple had two children, who were taken in by family after the incident.
