Authorities: Man kills wife, 2 kids, self in murder-suicide case

Associated Press

SUWANEE, GA.

A Georgia man who was having relationship troubles with his wife killed her, two of her sons and himself Wednesday, less than a day after police had visited the home on a domestic-violence call, authorities said.

Matthew Fields, 32, wasn’t there when deputies arrived Tuesday night and there was no sign of any physical altercation, Maj. Rick Doyle of the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office said. Those at the home were uncooperative, and there was nothing more authorities could do, he said.

Fields returned to the home Wednesday morning and fatally shot his wife, Rebecca Manning, and her 8- and 9-year-old boys, Jared and Jacob Smith. He also critically wounded Manning’s father, Jerry Manning, who lived with the family at the home in suburban Atlanta.

Sheriff Duane Piper said at a news conference earlier in the day that authorities weren’t sure of the motive.

“We have absolutely no clue at this point what precipitated it,” Piper said.

Before Fields killed himself, he called his mother acknowledging what he had done and said he was going to take his own life, according to 911 dispatcher documents distributed by the sheriff’s office.