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On Wednesday, Feb. 24, at approximately 10:20 a.m., New York State Police in Orange County and the Town of Mount Hope Police Department responded to a residence on Mount Hope Road for the report of a possible burglary in progress.
The initial caller who identified himself as Russell Claybrook claimed that someone may have been inside his residence, according to state police.
Responding officers entered the home and discovered a woman, identified as Marcia Reitman Currie, age 70, laying in bed deceased in a rear bedroom, police said.
On the floor of the same bedroom, a man, identified as James Russell Claybrook age 84, was also found dead, said police.
There were no indications of forced entry into the home or any sign of a struggle inside, according to police.
Currie and Claybrook were married and resided in the home. They both suffered from medical issues and appeared to be dealing with substantial pain, said police.
"Based upon the totality of the investigation, including physical evidence, numerous interviews, and written documentation found inside the home, the incident is consistent with a murder-suicide," state police stated.
The investigation revealed Claybrook shot his wife while she was in bed and then shot himself, police said.
Claybrook had falsely reported a burglary in order to increase the chance of a rapid police response to his residence, the investigation found.
" These actions were contained to the inside of the home," state police stated. "There were no other persons involved and there is no threat to public safety."
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