Officials say gunshots killed a Willard couple

NIXA, Mo. (AP) - Officials say gunfire killed a southwest Missouri couple whose skeletal remains were found in July in a forested area of Taney County.

Taney County Coroner Kevin Tweedy says he expects the deaths of 34-year-old Russell Porter and 46-year-old Rebecca Porter to be ruled homicides.

The Springfield News-Leader (http://bit.ly/rbSsKh) reported that both were shot in the head.

Family members say the Porters' home smelled of bleach after they disappeared in April from their Willard home. And Rebecca Porter left a cellphone, medication, purse and car keys behind.

After their bodies were found, the remains were sent to a laboratory at the University of North Texas for genetic testing and anthropological reconstruction.

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Information from: Springfield News-Leader, http://www.news-leader.com