Homicide-Suicide Suspected In Elderly Couple's Deaths Near Palm Desert

PALM DESERT, CA — Sheriff's investigators believe that homicide-suicide is behind the deaths of an elderly couple whose bodies were found in their vehicle last week near Palm Desert.

Michael and Lisa Herbst, both 87, were found dead July 14 in their vehicle parked at the end of Coyote Song Way, in unincorporated Palm Desert. The two were suffering from gunshot wounds, according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.

The day of the grim discovery, deputies from the La Quinta Sheriff's Station had received a report of a missing married couple who, the night before, had not returned to their home at a La Quinta senior living facility. A search of the area turned up their bodies.

While no further details about the case were released by the sheriff's department, it has been widely reported that spousal homicide-suicide occurs most frequently in older people.

A report in The Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law found that several factors can contribute to homicide-suicide among aging couples, including illness, perceived decline in health, depression and anxiety, among others.

The sheriff's department did not disclose a motive in the case. It's not clear which of the victims died first.

The investigation into the apparent homicide-suicide is ongoing. Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Investigator Gonzalez of the Central Homicide Unit at 951-955-2777.