The 22-year-old man suspected of killing two women in DeKalb County died Friday night at Vanderbilt Hospital, according to WJLE radio in Smithville.
Brandon Michael Gray died Friday from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head after he is believed to have killed his ex-girlfriend and her stepmother on Thursday.
Heather Nichole Eley, 21, and her stepmother Lori Ann Eley, 42, were found in their home on Allen’s Chapel Road in DeKalb County. Officers say they were stabbed and shot.
Gray is the ex-boyfriend of Heather Eley. They reportedly have two children together, a boy and a girl both under age 3. The children were at the home when the murders took place, according to DeKalb County Sheriff Patrick Ray.
While the murders took place in DeKalb County, both families have Warren County ties.
Heather Eley was the daughter of Chrissy Dodd Eley, who grew up here and graduated from Warren County. Heather Eley’s father, Bruce Eley, worked for the Warren County Sheriff’s Department in 1984.
As for the suspected killer, the Gray family attended Gath Baptist Church in the northern part of the county for many years. One church member described the Grays as great parents with well-behaved children.
After killing the two women, Gray reportedly fled the scene, but was soon identified as a person of interest. Heather Eley had taken out an order of protection against her ex-boyfriend and their relationship was described as “volatile” by one family member.
An officer spotted Gray pulling out of Mapco Express in Smithville.
The deputy tried to pull over the car, but Gray refused to stop. A chase down Highway 56 North ended when Gray pulled over near the intersection of Rolling Acres Road.
As the car came to a stop, officers heard a shot. They rushed to the car and discovered Gray had shot himself in the head. Gray was transported to DeKalb Community Hospital, but could not be airlifted because of the weather. He was transported by ambulance to Vanderbilt.
Sheriff Ray says authorities learned of the murders when a man called 911 from his cellphone Thursday at 3:45 p.m. The man indicated someone needed to come to the home on Allen’s Chapel Road to check on the well-being of his children.
Officers arrived and found the front door locked, but they were able to enter through a back door. A boy and girl, both under 3, were found unharmed in the home.
The bodies of the two women were discovered in the living room and kitchen. Sheriff Ray said it appears the women had been shot and stabbed.
Ray said lawmen have the pistol Gray used to shoot himself. They have also recovered kitchen knives from the home which may have been used in stabbing the women. The bodies have been sent to Nashville for an autopsy.
Funeral arrangements for Heather Eley are available on page 2-A.