Dec 16, 2014 2 min read

A man and a woman were found shot to death Tuesday inside a West Bethlehem Township home in an apparent murder-suicide, Washington County Coroner Tim Warco said.

Julie A. Bottles, 47, and Curtis Michael, 49, were found dead of gun shot wounds in a bedroom of a small double-wide home at 172 Patterson Run Road by a friend who forcibly entered the property, Warco said.

Warco said the two were not married, but lived as a couple. State police were called to the home about 1 p.m. after the pair was found dead inside. Bottles, who was shot first, was found in bed, and Michael, who shot himself, was found on the floor, Warco said. Warco said he was not called to the scene until roughly 4 p.m.

A weapon was located at the scene, but additional information about it was not provided.

The property sits at the end of a long private road in an isolated area. The couple had no immediate neighbors, with the closest home situated several acres away.

Media crews were not permitted near the property, and the road was blocked off by a single police vehicle.

The shooting occurred between 9:15 p.m. Monday and 11 a.m. Tuesday, Warco said.

The incident remains under investigation.