Report details scene at Murrells Inlet newlywed’s shooting

Horry County Police continue investigating what happened inside a Mt. Gilead home Saturday that left a newlywed couple dead.

County police and rescue crews responded to the home Saturday afternoon after the female victim’s father found the bodies of 30-year-old Richard Lawhon and his wife, Hannah Lawhon, according to a county police report.

Richard Lawhon died from a single gunshot wound; Hannah died from multiple gunshots, according to deputy coroner Tamara Willard.

The report states that David Jarvis went to his daughter’s home and saw his daughter and son-in-law lying on the floor.

Jarvis told police he kicked in the front door of the home and went inside, before calling police.

Once inside, police found the couple lying in pools of blood with gunshot wounds to the head, the report states.

Investigators found a handgun and shell casings near the bodies, according to police.

There were no police calls to the home before Saturday, according to Horry County Police Lieutenant Bob Carr.

Investigators sent evidence from the home off for ballistics testing before making a final ruling on the deaths, Lieutenant Jamie DeBari told News13.

DeBari said police have reason to believe the deaths were a murder-suicide, but are awaiting test results to come back from a forensics laboratory before making a final determination.

DeBari said investigators are also awaiting toxicology results to help make a determination on how to handle finding a motive in the shooting.

Debari said alcohol often plays a factor in domestic violence and could have played a role in the Lawhon’s deaths.

Friends who knew the couple said the Lawhons were recently married and were high school sweethearts.

Once county police and the coroner’s office rule the Lawhon shooting as a suicide, it would mark the first suicide of 2009.

There were 44 suicides in Horry County in 2007 and 37 suicides in 2008, according to the Horry County Coroner’s Office.

Hannah was employed with the Waccamaw Hospital in Murrells Inlet as an emergency room nurse.

Hannah Lawhon’s visitation is set for 9 a.m. Thursday with the funeral to follow at 11 a.m. at the Goldfinch Funeral Home.

Richard Hannah’s funeral is set for Tuesday at 6 p.m.

You can count on News13 to update this story throughout the day as details become available.