By Bill Grubb

CHURCH HILL - Authorities are still trying to piece together the events that led to what they are describing as a murder and suicide involving a husband and wife.
    Joseph Jones, 61, and Patricia Guy Jones, 53, were both found dead Saturday afternoon at their residence located at 6048 Carter's Valley Road, Church Hill.
    "We are still looking at it as a murder and suicide," Sheriff Roger Christian said Tuesday.  "We have a couple or three things we are checking on that might help us understand happened.  We still haven't found any note or anything like that."
    The sheriff said the couple had only been married for a few years.  Joseph Jones was a postal employee and Patricia Jones had worked in the medical field.
    According to a report filed by Corporal Michael Price of the Hawkins County Sheriff's Office, he was dispatched to the residence at 3:41 p.m.  The deaths were discovered by Patricia Jones' daughters, Michelle Dennison, of Knoxville, and Angela Crain, of Chattanooga.
    "Michelle Dennison stated her mother was supposed to be attending a family function on Saturday and when she didn't show up she went to the residence with her sister, Angela Crain, and then observed Mr. Jones in the floor," the deputy's report states.
    One of the daughters forced entry into the locke residence by using a brick to break the glass in the front door and discovered the bodies, the report notes.
    Both individuals had what the report described as "close range" gunshot wounds, with the wound to Patricia Jones described as in the "facial area" while Joseph Jones had a wound near his left eye. A semi-automatic 9 mm pistol was reportedly discovered in Joseph Jones' hand.
    The report also notes there was a bullet hole in a closet door near the location where the woman's body was found.