Police investigate 2 murder-suicides over 48 hours 

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – The St. Louis County Police Department says a woman was shot and killed in the second apparent murder-suicide in St. Louis County this week.

Investigators said the murder-suicides are not connected; however, police believe the crimes are domestic. Police encourage residents to seek help immediately if they are in a domestic violence situation.

St. Louis County police are investigating two separate apparent murder-suicides in north St. Louis County. The most recent happened Monday just before 4 a.m. in the 2700 block of Rottingdean Drive. Police responded to a welfare call, and when officers arrived, they found a man and a woman dead from gunshot wounds inside the home. Investigators believe the man shot the woman and then turned the gun on himself.

Police identified the man as 61-year-old Dana Haney, of Ferguson, and the woman as 60-year-old Cheryl Washington, who lived in the apartment.

St. Louis County police want you to know their domestic violence unit will help.

“We have a specific unit that investigate it, but we also have an advocate that works with us that reviews every domestic case that we have,” said Tara Edsall, a detective for the St. Louis County Police Department. “She also helps victims of domestic violence that will call our offices that may need services such as help with housing, counseling, have them file an order of protection.”

This is the second apparent murder-suicide in north St. Louis County in less than 48 hours, and the crime scenes are less than five miles apart.

On Sunday, police responded to the 5300 block of Gladstone Place just before 9 a.m. for a welfare check. Police said 21-year-old Latonya Brown was shot and killed by her boyfriend, 23-year-old Justin Taylor, before shooting himself.

Lizzie Harrison runs Harrison’s Referral Services for domestic violence victims.

“I was a victim of domestic violence, about 20 years ago, and I decided to give back to the community by helping other women and children and men who were going through domestic violence,” she said.