Idaho police officer, 28, running for mayor 'killed coffee shop manager, 34, before taking his own life'
A police officer, who was running to be a local mayor in a small Idaho town, is alleged to have murderd a woman who managed a small coffee shop, before taking his own life.
Officer Jared Murphy, 28, was running to be mayor of Bellevue, and 34-year-old Ashley Midby, who appear to have been in a relationship, were found dead from gunshot wounds last Thursday at a cafe on Main Street in the town.
Midby was the manager of Coffee Corner. Both the bodies were found on the premises.
Police officer Jared Murphy, 28, right, who was running for mayor of Bellevue, was found dead on October 23 alongside Ashley Midby, 34, left, inside the coffee shop she ran
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help raise money for Midby's family with $7,000 so far having been donated
Murphy, who worked as a police officer before in the city of Hailey had unsuccessfully run to be Bellevue's mayor in 2018 but was about to give it another go.
'Our City needs a strong leader to prosper and grow. There is no question, I posses that leadership trait we need,' he wrote. 'There should be no question of if I am dedicated to serving. I have been in the Army for just about 8 years and am a Lieutenant. The Army has taught me amazing leadership skills and how to make a decision quickly and precisely.'
Hailey's current mayor, Martha Burke, paid tribute to Midby who was from a well known family in the area.
The exact motive remains unknown but the two did appear to know one another
The bodies of both Murphy and Midby were found in the Coffee Corner Cafe Midby managed
'Our deepest condolences go out to the friends, coworkers, certainly the families, and all those so painfully impacted by this extreme tragedy,' she said. 'The loss of young life pains us all, and we, with the entire local community, deeply grieve these losses.'
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help raise money for Midby's family $7,000 so far having been donated.
'We will also fight in legislation to enact laws that protect domestic violence/abuse victims to help ensure more protection for women,' the person who set up the GoFundMe account wrote.