A Wisconsin couple who were found fatally shot in their car died by murder-suicide, an autopsy has revealed.
Brandon Dumovich, 30, and his wife, Rachel, 29, were found dead in Harvard, Illinois, late at night on October 6 by police. A gun was found inside the vehicle.
Both of them died from a single gunshot wound to the head, the McHenry County Coroner’s Office has now ruled.
The investigation determined that Brandon shot and killed Rachel before turning the gun on himself, the Harvard Police Department said Thursday.
The couple got married on October 12, 2024 and were days away from celebrating their first wedding anniversary when they were found.
Rachel and Brandon met in middle school and were friends for 15 years before they started dating in 2022, the couple shared on their wedding website.
Despite their decades-long friendship and marital status, neither Rachel nor Brandon’s loved ones mentioned the relationship in their respective obituaries.
Brandon Dumovich, 30, and his wife, Rachel, 29, were found dead in Harvard, Illinois , late at night on October 6 by police. A gun was found inside the vehicle
Both of them died from a single gunshot wound to the head, the McHenry County Coroner’s Office has now ruled. The investigation determined that Brandon shot and killed Rachel before turning the gun on himself
Rachel and Brandon met in middle school and were friends for 15 years before they started dating in 2022. They got engaged in 2023
Rachel updated her Facebook profile picture with a selfie alongside Brandon on the same day that they were found dead.
Minutes later, she uploaded a picture the couple took during a trip to Greece, captioned: ‘Forever chasing sunsets. Wishing we were back in Greece!’
Police found their bodies later that night along Route 14, near North Division Street.
The investigation into their ‘tragic’ deaths remains ongoing, Harvard police said, but reiterated there is ‘no indication of any ongoing threat to the community.’
‘Our thoughts remain with the families and all those affected by this tragedy,’ the force said in a press release obtained by the Daily Mail.
Harvard police thanked the McHenry County investigators and coroner’s office for their ‘continued partnership and professionalism’ throughout the course of the investigation.
Anyone with information about the case is urged to contact the Harvard Police Department at (815) 943-4431 or submit tips anonymously through Crimestoppers.
Rachel’s last Facebook post was on the same day she was found dead
Rachel was as a 2018 graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She had last worked as a human resources manager
Brandon was born in Barrington, Illinois, and served in the US Navy as a petty officer
Brandon was born in Barrington, Illinois, and served in the US Navy as a petty officer, his obituary stated. There was no mention of his wife.
A review of publicly available records showed that Brandon had several run-ins with the law and was cited for at least 33 alleged traffic violations across Wisconsin and Illinois. Not all cases resulted in a conviction.
His most serious charge was for driving under the influence of alcohol in 2016. He appears to have accepted a plea deal in that case.
Rachel was a 2018 graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She had last worked as a human resources manager.
Her public obituary hailed Rachel as a ‘natural connector, advocate, and loyal friend’ with a ‘strong sense of empathy, compassion, social justice, and fair play, always championing those who needed a voice.’
Rachel, like her husband, had previously been found guilty of multiple traffic offenses. The most serious of her seven citations was for speeding.
Her family held a visitation and memorial service for her on October 17.
Brandon’s family indicated that a private memorial service would be planned ‘at a later date.’ It is unclear if or when that ceremony occurred.
