Police Believe Mich. Man Fatally Shot Wife, Then Killed Himself During Police Traffic Stop
Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson said that Kelly McWhirter was "a beautiful soul"
Genesee County Sheriff's Office
The search for a missing Michigan woman has turned into a homicide investigation — and authorities believe her husband killed her before fatally shooting himself in front of police.
Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson, speaking of the fate of 60-year-old Kelly McWhirter, told ABC12, "This is no longer a rescue. This is a recovery. This is a homicide investigation."
During a Wednesday press conference, Swanson said McWhirter and her husband, 57-year-old Steven Higgins, were reported missing on Tuesday, and by Wednesday morning the investigation into their disappearance had turned into a criminal investigation.
Swanson said police believed that the pair had a confrontation at a house in Flushing over the weekend, and that one of them suffered an injury with “significant blood loss.”
He said investigators eventually found McWhirter’s car in Norwalk, Ohio, and that they believed Higgins drove McWhirter's car there from Flushing before returning back for his vehicle. They noted that there had also been signs of a struggle in her car.
Police ultimately tracked down Higgins' vehicle and made a traffic stop.
“There was a confrontation between the driver, later identified as Steven Higgins, and the officers trying to give verbal commands,” Swanson said in the press conference. “Higgins would not come out of the vehicle.”
Genesee County Sheriff's Office
A photo of Kelly McWhirter and Steven Higgins.Eventually, said Swanson, Higgins shot himself. He was transported to the hospital but has since died, WNEM reports.
On Thursday, Swanson said, “This is a homicide investigation and our suspect is dead."
Genesee County Sheriff's Office
Kelly McWhirter and Steven Higgins photographed together at night.Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
On Wednesday, Swanson noted that he had known McWhirter, as she had worked in this office for many years as a secretary, and described her as “a beautiful soul.” He added that she went on to work at the Board of Commissioner’s office as a secretary and her absence from work on Monday raised alarms because it “was completely out of character.”
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