Montgomery County investigators have released the details of a domestic incident that turned into a murder-suicide on Monday morning.
Police said they responded to a residence in Pottstown on Monday morning following a 9-1-1 call from a neighbor. Arriving officers discovered the bodies of 42-year-old Edward Thornton and 46-year-old Carla Forde. The deceased were husband and wife, according to investigators.
A joint investigation by the Montgomery County Detective Bureau and the Pottstown Borough Police Department determined that the couple were having an argument in their kitchen when Thornton began to “brutally beat” Forde until she was unconscious. Home surveillance footage showed Thornton then going upstairs to retrieve a firearm, at which point he returns to the kitchen and shoots and kills his wife.
Thornton then turned the gun on himself and committed suicide, police said.
Investigators said there was a previous history of domestic violence by Thornton towards the victim. Autopsies on the bodies will be conducted later today, officials said.
“My heartfelt condolences go out to the family and friends of the victim,” said Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele. “This is yet another domestic violence or relationship homicide in Montgomery County. If you are living in a violent situation at home, please call for help: Laurel House hotline is 800-642-3150 or the Women’s Center of Montgomery County hotline is 800-773-2424.”
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