KINDERHOOK—Timothy L. Conway, 58, shot and killed his wife Sarah Witham-Conway, 50, with a 12-gauge shotgun, then turned the gun on himself in the early morning hours of Wednesday, May 27, Columbia County Sheriff David Harrison Jr. reported in a press release late today.
Autopsies on the two bodies found at the 101 Rabbit Lane home were performed at the Albany Medical Center Thursday by Dr. Michael Sikirica, a forensic pathologist.
The examination confirmed that both died instantly of gunshot wounds. The gun was recovered at the scene.
The couple has two children, Katherine Conway, 20, and Spencer Conway, 16; neither was home at the time of the shootings.
Sheriff’s deputies found the bodies in the couple’s bedroom around 9 a.m. Wednesday after receiving a call from a work associate of Ms. Witham-Conway concerned that she had not arrived for work.
Mr. Conway left a handwritten note in the house and a voice message on a family member’s phone asking to be forgiven, but did not give further details.
Though there was no prior evidence of violence between the Conways, they were experiencing marital problems in recent weeks, and Mr. Conway had been laid off from his job, the sheriff said in the release.
Mr. Conway was a state worker, according to a report in the Albany Times Union in which a neighbor was interviewed.
According to a July 2, 1992 article in The Independent, Ms. Witham-Conway was president of Witham Electric, Inc., at 726 Union Street in Hudson.
Ms. Witham-Conway was the third generation of the Witham family to run the electrical contracting business that was started by her grandfather in 1921.
She began her career with the company by taking inventory when she was 16. She was a 1976 graduate of Hudson High School and a 1982 graduate of Hudson Valley Community College with honors in electrical construction, said the article. She worked her way up in the firm to become president in 1992.
She served as treasurer of the Columbia County Electrical Contractors organization, and was a member of the Workforce Investment Board and the Daughters of the American Revolution, according to the business’ website.
As of Thursday afternoon, Sheriff’s Office crime scene technicians, criminal investigators and deputies were finishing the processing of the Conway residence and property. The investigation is continuing.
Coroner Angelo Nero and Sheriff’s Investigators Anthony Brahm and Patrick Logue investigated at the scene and were present for the autopsy.
To contact Diane Valden email dvalden@ColumbiaPaper.com.
