CONNELLSVILLE, Pa. -- A Connellsville man beat his girlfriend to death at their home, then went to an ex-girlfriend's house and killed himself, state police at the Uniontown barracks said.
The deaths of James Claybourne, 63, and Priscilla Harris, 58, are being investigated as a murder-suicide case, Trooper Brian Burden said Tuesday afternoon.
Claybourne's body was found around 12:30 p.m. Monday at a home on McCormick Avenue, and Harris was found dead a few hours later at a home on South Eighth Street, police said.
"She was just a joyful person, and she would help anyone, and anyone would know that. She's just a happy-go-lucky person," said Mildred Berger, Harris' cousin.
Jackie Jones and another sibling found their sister underneath an overturned bed in her bedroom.
"I was devastated, absolutely devastated," said Jones.
Jones said blood on a dumbbell led them to their sister's body.
"I looked over at the bed that was turned over and I noticed an elbow sticking out," said Jones.
Berger told WTAE Channel 4's Amber Nicotra that Harris, known as "Teal" to her family, was constantly surrounded by relatives.
"No matter where she was going, she always called her sister, who lived down the street, or her daughter who lives further down, or her other daughter. They always knew where their mom went," Berger said.
On Monday evening, when they hadn't heard from her, Berger said Harris' family started to worry.
"We had heard that her boyfriend had passed, so her sister-in-law came over to try to see why she didn't tell anyone, because no one knew, and that's how we came about it that we started looking for her, and that's why we went in the house," Berger said.
Police said Harris was beaten in the head and that they found blood that they believe is hers on the clothing of Claybourne.
"With the timeline we put together and the physical evidence on his person -- the physical evidence at the scene -- led us to the conclusion that this is a murder-suicide," said Det. Steven Shaffer.
Police said they believe Claybourne killed Harris at their home before walking across town to an ex-girlfriend's house to take a nap.
Police said Claybourne's ex-girlfriend told police he took prescription medication before laying down and never woke up.
Sean Lackner said he was doing roof work on Harris' home Monday and noticed something odd.
"Someone always comes out when you're working on their house, says 'hi' or whatever. And it was, like, why was nobody coming in or out?" Lackner said.
Investigators said the beating may have happened Sunday night or Monday morning and that they never domestic disturbance calls from the couple's residence in the past.
"We have no motive at this time -- exactly what happened, why it happened -- we're keeping all aspects of this investigation open at this time," said Shaffer.
Claybourne was on leave from a halfway house in Pittsburgh, police said.
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