SAN ANTONIO – According to an update from the San Antonio Police Department, officers are investigating the deaths of a Southeast Side married couple as a “murder-suicide.”
Officers were dispatched to a home just after 1:40 p.m. Monday in the 2400 block of Christian Drive. The home is located west of Loop 410 and south of Rigsby Avenue, police said.
The Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the couple as Robert Charles Byrd, 64, and Gina Byrd, 62.
According to the medical examiner’s office, Gina Byrd died of at least one gunshot wound. Her death was ruled a homicide.
The office also said Robert Charles Byrd died of at least one gunshot wound. His death was ruled a suicide.
In a Tuesday morning update, SAPD said the couple was found in the home with apparent gunshot wounds. At this point, the department said it is investigating their deaths as a murder-suicide.
During a Monday afternoon news conference, SAPD spokesperson Washington Moscoso said the family of the couple was growing concerned about their well-being.
The full Monday news conference can be seen below.
Relatives told police that they did not “open up their place of business” on Monday morning, officers revealed in their Tuesday report.
A relative of the couple was able to break into the home and found one person unresponsive on the floor in one of the house’s rooms, SAPD said on Monday. The relative then called other family members, who then called 911.
When police arrived, Moscoso said officers performed a “protective sweep” of the home. During their search at the home, the officers found the unresponsive person’s spouse, according to San Antonio police.
In an email to reporters sent before the Monday afternoon news conference, a separate SAPD spokesperson described the incident at the home as a “double murder.” However, Moscoso later said the couple’s causes of death had not yet been determined.
“It’s obvious that this couple was very loved. They have a large family,” Moscoso said on Monday. “There’s a lot of people out here that are in mourning for the loss of these two individuals.”
SAPD said its investigation into the couple’s deaths remains active.
Domestic violence resources
If you or someone you know is in an abusive relationship, there is a long list of resources on KSAT’s Domestic Violence page which includes a breakdown of what abuse is, and how it builds gradually.
If you are in crisis, you can:
- call or text 911
- call the Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233
- call the local Family Violence Prevention Services, which runs the shelter (Crisis Number: 210-733-8810, Programs and Administration: 210-930-3669)
- call the Bexar County Family Justice Center at 210-631-0100.
Anyone in crisis can call, text or chat with the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988, or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741.
More coverage of this story on KSAT:
