Lisa Gerhart: Arizona Mom And Two Children Death Suspected As Murder-Suicide — Woman Distraught After Husband Left Her

On Tuesday, officials in Arizona discovered the grisly scene of what appears to have been a murder-suicide involving a mother and her two children. The three bodies were discovered with gunshot wounds inside a home in suburban Phoenix, and neighbors are now saying the mother was distraught after her husband left her.

The authorities have identified the woman as 45-year-old Lisa Gerhart from Phoenix, Arizona, and though the deputies are awaiting the autopsy results before they make an official determination regarding the deaths, they are fairly certain that it was indeed a murder-suicide. Gerhart’s 17-year-old son and 12-year-old daughter were also found shot to death in the home after David Gerhart had apparently left his wife.

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Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio spoke at a news conference on Tuesday regarding some current details of the murder investigation.

“We’re almost sure this is a murder-suicide, but we haven’t closed the case. We’re leaving a little part open just in case someone else could have caused these three deaths.”

However, much of the belief that the police hold regarding the theory of murder-suicide is because of the circumstances surrounding the discovery of the bodies and the fact that authorities found the body of Lisa Gerhart with a handgun close by.

The first indication that something was wrong in the home came on the night of July 25, when a close family friend and concerned neighbor by the name of Paula Testa said she noticed that the vehicle parked outside the home was still running. CBS News reported that the vehicle had a hose going from itsexhaust pipe to the inside of the two-story family home by way of a window. Though each family was shot no one reported hearing the gun.

Deputies responded to the scene at the 17700 block of East Prescott Place, entering the carbon monoxide filled home to discover the bodies of the two children upstairs while the mother’s body and the handgun were downstairs. In his release, Arpaio did not name the children but said that the incident had quite an effect on himself and the other deputies.

“It’s a sad situation. Domestic violence is something we have to look into. … It’s a big problem facing our county and our country. Many of our deputies, including myself, are married and have children. But we have a job to do; I don’t know if you ever get used to it, but here we’re talking about a 12-year-old and a 17-year-old. Every life is precious, whether you’re 84, or you’re 12 or 2.”

According to Tulsa World, neighbors of the Gerhart family said that Lisa had been distraught since Saturday, crying as she told others the tale of her devastation and horror that her husband had left her and moved out of their home.

Neighbor Judy Peaton says that she is still in disbelief that the mother shot her kids as, Lisa “was a loving mother, she was crazy about her children.”

Lisa Gerhart shoots teen son & daughter and self after husband leaves her https://t.co/36hmrasckY #RIP Lisa Gerhart #guns #domestic violence

— Scallywagandvagabond (@ScallywagNYC) July 27, 2016

Another neighbor, identified as Connie Rivere, told the media that the mother had been “talking to everyone” in the wake of her husband leaving her. It seems that Lisa Gerhart was trying to let others know that though she had been having problems she was very shocked and devastated that her husband had left.

“She wanted to talk him into staying with her and the kids… And, no. I know that she didn’t want to live through that – she must have not, because…”

Rivere broke down in tears, unable to continue.

Authorities have advised that the bodies of the mother and two children will be examined with the intention of determining whether or not the carbon monoxide that was being pumped into the house occurred before the murder of the children. A dog that was found inside the house is uninjured.

Arpaio said that the deputies will also be checking phones and computers in order to find all possible evidence related to the suspected murder-suicide.

[Image via Shutterstock]