Preliminary autopsy results and scene investigation findings indicate murder suspect Tyrone Adair died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to a statement issued by the Dane County Coroners office Tuesday.
The statement also said additional toxicology and microscopic studies are underway.
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A man suspected of four recent murders was found dead Monday in the town of Cottage Grove.
Police said a property owner in the town east of Madison reported the car police have been searching for — a silver GMC Acadia the suspect was thought to be driving — parked on Natvig Road, next to an outbuilding.
The man said the car had been there since Friday morning, but since he believed it to be his friend’s, he did not investigate it further at that time.
Upon hearing of the search for the vehicle, the man reported the car. Police arrived on the scene and discovered a deceased male in the car, later confirmed to be murder suspect Tyrone Adair, Dane County Coroner Raymond Wosepka said in a press conference Monday.
Police believe Adair to be responsible for the deaths reported in Madison of Amber Weigel, 25, and Adair’s daughter, Neveah Weigel-Adair, 2. In addition, police said they believe Adair is responsible for the murder of his girlfriend, Tracey Judd, 33, and their daughter, 23-month-old Deja Adair, whose bodies were found in Middleton.
According to Wosepka, Adair suffered a gunshot wound, but an autopsy to be performed this morning will confirm the cause of death.
Police have not confirmed the wound was self-inflicted, but no suspect is currently being pursued in the death of Adair, according to Madison Police Department spokesperson Joel DeSpain.
Weigel and Weigel-Adair were found dead in a car parked in a garage on the 6800 block of Park Edge Drive in Madison Thursday night. Police said they suffered fatal gunshot wounds.
Dane County Sheriff Dave Mahoney said in all likelihood, the murder of two of the victims — Judd and Deja Adair — occurred Thursday morning at their residence in Middleton. They were then discovered dead in a car Thursday night in a Middleton parking lot.
“Make no mistake: this will probably go down as the worst incident for homicides in Dane County,” Madison Police Chief Noble Wray said. “That should be cause for pause.”
According to DeSpain, police found two handguns in the vehicle in which Adair was discovered — a 9mm caliber gun and a revolver. DeSpain said police have confirmed a 9mm gun was used in the homicides, but police are still confirming the gun found in the car was the murder weapon.
Wray said no motive for the murders could be confirmed, but Mahoney said a “clear message” of domestic violence was present between Adair and Judd.
A previous domestic incident occurred between Adair and Judd, according to Dane County District Attorney Brian Blanchard. In March, police responded to an incident of domestic violence at Judd’s Middleton residence.
Adair was arrested and the case was referred to the DA’s office, yet Adair was not charged as there was no visible injury to Judd, and both Adair and Judd denied any violence occurred.
Blanchard said after thorough investigation, the “right call” was made not to pursue a criminal case in this incident because there was no evidence.
Mahoney added these murders, more than any other incident in the past, speaks to the prominence and potential dangers involved with victims of domestic violence.
