Two dead in apparent murder-suicide in east Asheville

The Asheville Police Department reports an apparent murder-suicide in East Asheville, leaving two — Diana Smith McGovern, 50 and William Michael McGovern, 51 — dead.

At 6 p.m. on the evening of Sept. 16, police checked on the residence — at 51 Mimosa Circle — after receiving a call reporting that Diana McGovern “had not shown up to work since Sunday.”

“No one answered the door and when officers checked the perimeter of the house, they saw a body through a window,” a statement from the APD reads. Upon entry, they discovered the woman “on the kitchen floor, dead from an apparent gunshot wound.” Her husband was then discovered “deceased in the living room from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.”

The APD reports no history of domestic violence calls to the residence, and the investigation continues.

— David Forbes, senior news reporter

 

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6 thoughts on “Two dead in apparent murder-suicide in east Asheville

  1. Patricia Andrews

    First of all .. this is terribly sad.. my condolences to the family..
    I know a couple by this name.. would anyone be able to tell me if this Diana was an artist?
    So sorry for the loss… :(
    Thank you …

    • Jackie

      Yes she was. I never met her. I have her paintings from her home after she was murdered. I’m so proud to hang them in my home.

  2. Chad H. Dula

    I was just wondering. First of all my condolences goes out to the familes related to these two people. I can’t help but ask why when someone decides that they don’t want to live anymore,they have to take the closest person along with them instead of just going on their own. If there was unhappiness with the marriage, then I wished proper council coud have been summoned to help them instead of drastic measures having to be this unfortunate. Sad situation

  3. Elizabeth L.

    They were my next-door neighbors for several years and were very helpful in times of need. Always a nice hello or ‘how’s it going’ when my partner or I would arrive home.

    Yes, Dianna was an artist. Her paintings and handcrafts had a sweet, folksy touch. At one time some of them were in a downtown Asheville gallery. Bill did some beautiful rock work around their house. They had several dogs and a cat at one time whom they loved very much.

    I will miss them.

  4. firelady

    This is a tragic event. Unfortunately, this type of tragedy is potentially indicative of a gap in the legal/social service support system. Other stories about this case have hinted at some sort of abuse/controlling behavior on the part of the husband. Perhaps the wife had sought help, but found, like I have, that while the statutes on Domestic Abuse include emotional/financial abuse, the legal system and social service support organizations (such as Helpmate and Pisgah Legal Services) focus on physical abuse. Recent statistics point to a large increase in demand for services- TEDxAvl Presenter Angela Shelton cited a 30% increase in reported Domestic Abuse cases since this recession. Law enforcement and support orgs are struggling to meet this demand with fewer resources.

    Many people in these abusive situations must wait to be hit in order to garner protection and support. Unfortunately, the first physical violence can be lethal. Many women in our community may be reading this story, and wondering if they could be next. I know I am very aware of this possibility

  5. pandies

    Turns out it is the couple I knew.. he worked for my husband a few years ago.. they got to be very good friends.. my husband and son helped them move into the cabin and they did some work on it for them including the porch..
    We never knew Bill to be abusive.. he was a very sweet man.. They had come to dinner a few times.. but she didn’t like to come because we had children.. he liked children.. so he came alone..
    I just wanted to say a few nice things of Bill as he is being made out to be an abuser..
    This economic situation is causing lots of mental depression and hardships.. people are ‘snapping’ everywhere.. unable to handle the pressures..
    This saddens us immensely.. she was a wonderful artist.. so talented..
    They will truly be missed..

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