Man and Woman Found Dead in Submerged Truck Were Locked in Custody Battle

Police are investigating an alleged murder-suicide in Oklahoma after finding the bodies of a formerly married couple in a truck submerged in a lake.

The Claremore Police Department said officers found the bodies of 26-year-old Candace Michelle Kehoe and her ex-husband 27-year-old George Dakota Gaddy Kehoe on Tuesday, according to a press release post issued on its Facebook page.

Early investigations concluded that the female was the victim of a violent encounter in the murder-suicide and it appeared the male died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The investigation is ongoing.

"The two people were formerly married and were recently involved in child-custody issues," the post also stated.

The police were able to confirm that the children involved in the custody battle were found safe at a family member's home.

Initially, on Monday night at 11:30 p.m, Claremore patrol officers were flagged down by a concerned person reporting an alleged murder-suicide. This led investigators to the 700 block of Comet street, Claremore, Oklahoma.

When they arrived, officers found no one inside the house but said they found evidence of an injury, according to the Facebook post.

Around that time, the Claremore Police Department received a call from the north side of Claremore Lake from an individual saying they had witnessed a white truck sinking in the lake.

"Claremore officers went to the caller and saw the pickup go under the water," the press release stated. "Claremore Fire assisted the police department by going out on the lake and locating the truck submerged using sonar.

"A buoy was placed on the spot of the submerged vehicle, where officers had to wait until early [Tuesday] to retrieve the truck. Dive team members from The Oklahoma Highway Patrol assisted us in removing the pickup from the lake."

After the truck was pulled from the lake, the pair were identified as the formerly married couple and were connected to the home on Comet Street from the initial call. The authorities are continuing to investigate the circumstances related to the incident.

A Claremore Police Department spokesperson spoke to Newsweek after being contacted and said they do not have an update on this investigation at this time.

There are close to 600 murder-suicides that occur yearly in the United States. This accounts for around 1,000 to 1,500 deaths, according to a 2022 FBI report.

"Although uncommon, such incidents vary widely in terms of the persons involved, how they are related, and where the crimes take place," the report stated.

"Usually, law enforcement personnel deal with murder-suicides involving two people in domestic settings or relationships. Sixty-five percent of the events involve intimate partners, and 81 percent occur in the home."

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text "988" to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org.

Update 07/27/23, 3:30 a.m. ET.: This article was updated with a response from the Claremore Police Department.