KSP: Kidnapping suspect shoots, kills victim before turning gun on himself

STANFORD, Ky. (WKYT) - A man and woman are dead after a reported kidnapping in western Kentucky ended in Lincoln County. Troopers are calling it a murder-suicide.

Kentucky State Police had been searching for 65-year-old Thomas Hungerford, who KSP said forcefully kidnapped 53-year-old Tammy Beechum of Dover, Tenn. Wednesday morning. Police said the kidnapping happened in a parking lot of her job.

Troopers said earlier Wednesday afternoon the SUV the pair was believed to be in was spotted in the Lancaster area. A brief chase ended in front of the Advanced Auto Parts store just outside of Stanford.

Troopers said when they approached the SUV, they found Hungerford and Beechum dead inside.

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Troopers said in an earlier release they believed the two were headed to Maryland, but their direction of travel wasn’t clear. Throughout the day, troopers said bank activity confirmed they were in Lexington and Nicholasville and were going south on US 27. That’s when they were spotted in Lancaster and the deadly events soon unfolded.

Investigators said they’re working to find out why it happened.

“I wish I could say these things don’t happen, but unfortunately they do. They shouldn’t happen,” Trooper Adam Hall said. “Investigators will be doing interviews and speaking with family to try to understand why this transpired, though I’m not sure you can find a good reason. But I don’t see the real solution here. Two individuals are deceased, and now families are without loved ones, and our thoughts are with them.”

Troopers said no one else is believed to be involved with this case. They’ll be going through the SUV to try to piece together why all of this happened. It’s unclear if there was a note or anything to explain why.

State troopers are asking anyone who may know about why this happened to give them a call.

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