Vernal man allegedly kills mom, self in murder-suicide
VERNAL, Utah (ABC4) — Police are investigating the death of two people they believe was a murder-suicide of a mother and son in Uintah County.
Newly released court documents say police believe Mark Ryan Bingham, 42, shot and killed his mother in Naples before returning to Vernal, lighting his house on fire, and shooting himself.
On Dec. 31, authorities responded to a fire near 390 West 250 South in Vernal. While extinguishing the fire, they say they found a body in the bathroom. Authorities later identified the man as Mark Bingham and determined the cause of death to be “a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head,” documents say.
Investigators also found “an accelerant poured throughout the house and a red gasoline can.” Following the fire incident, police received a call notifying them of the death of Bingham’s mother. Police say she was found with a gunshot wound to the head and the same shell casings found in Bingham’s residence.
Nearly 30 minutes after receiving news of the mother’s death, a “delayed text” was allegedly sent out from Bingham’s phone to a group chat stating, “By the time you get this, I will have murdered my mom and myself.”
Police are currently investigating how the text was sent and collecting evidence from several devices in hopes that it can provide insight into any other potential suspects or possible motives.
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, call the suicide prevention hotline at 988. National Alliance on Mental Illness Utah: namiut.org
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