Middle Class Murder - Greensboro, NC

I spent the morning editing a story that has to air on Thursday at 5 o'clock. I had ample time to complete the story, with flair even. My next scheduled news gathering assignment wasn't until 2-30 in the afternoon.

But what have we all learned from years and years of covering news on a daily basis?
You can't schedule news in a day planner.

When my cellphone caller ID lights up with the station call letters while I'm in an edit bay, I know there's trouble on the horizon.



"Unit 15"
"Chris...Need you to take Live 2 to Greensboro for a noon live shot with Eric and Tim."

I grab the keys to the Live truck and a hot off the press mapquest image of the scene and I was on my way to Corinth Drive on the southeast side of Greensboro.

I couldn't quite believe what I saw when I pulled in. I am quite accustomed to the types of neighborhoods we frequent for midtown murders and crack pipe killings, but this...this was unusual and perplexing.



As the neighbors stood on their porches, I wondered if they were thinkning the same thing as me? Why would someone want to come into such a nice middle class neighborhood and kill someone in the light of day?

But that was the wrong question if I wanted any answers. The killer was one of the neighborhood's own.



The owner of the house surrounded by the yellow ribbon...but not a yellow ribbon of a proud soldier just home from defending our great nation.

This soldier's yellow ribbon meant he has just murdered his wife.



As fellow photojournalist Tim Bateson strung together video and sound for the noon news I made sure we had a clear signal for broadcast. But during the scurry I couldn't help but try to investigate this one in my head.



It's always been hard for me to figure out or understand why someone would want to kill another human being, especially a loved one. It makes me wonder what's going on with all these soldier killings lately.



The husband was later found dead of an apparant self inflicted wound later in the day.