Couple dead in apparent murder-suicide

A Carson City man shot and killed his former wife in her South Carson home on Monday morning and then turned the gun on himself.

Judith Browning, 63, and her ex-husband Melvis Mohrman, 67, both were found shot in the head at Browning's home in the 1300 block of Philippi Street about 9:30 a.m.

Browning was pronounced dead at the shooting scene. Mohrman died at Washoe Medical Center at 1:37 p.m.

According to police, Mohrman's daughter spoke with her father earlier Monday morning and after the conversation became concerned for Browning's safety.

When she arrived at the home, she found Browning dead on the couch in the family room with an apparent gunshot wound to the head and Mohrman still alive and slumped into his ex-wife's lap, also suffering from what appeared to be a gunshot wound to the head.

A .38-caliber handgun was found with two bullets missing from the loaded chamber.

A Care Flight helicopter landing at the intersection of Cortez and Kingsley streets woke the sleepy neighborhood near Seeliger Elementary School.

"This neighborhood is so quiet," said homeowner George Decombra as he watched Mohrman being loaded onto the helicopter. "I can't believe it. What the hell can be so bad?"

The couple had been married in June 2000 and were divorced in April of this year, but had tried to reconcile over the summer, said Lt. Ray Saylo, Carson City Sheriff's Department spokesman.

Records from the Carson City Assessor's Office show Browning bought the home in 1999. In 2000, she changed her name on the title to Judith Mohrman and in 2001 had the home put back into Judith Browning. Mohrman relinquished his interest in the home in October 2001.

The house, which has a Realtor's sign in front of it, was supposed to go into escrow this weekend. Browning was preparing to move out of state, a neighbor said.

Roxanne Storch, who lives a few doors north, said she saw Browning, who was having a garage sale, this weekend.

"She was always sweet," Storch said. "She would bring her dog over. She always said 'Hi.' It's such a shame, she was a nice person."

The dog, a small black and white Ahsa Lapso, peeked into the home from the sliding glass doors as detectives moved through the house. Saylo said Browning's Realtor took the dog home with her.

"What we have so far shows the relationship had been going downhill since June," Saylo said. "We are investigating e-mails sent between the two and also the possibility of harassment on his part."

Since the couple's final separation, neighbors reported, Mohrman would be seen driving past Browning's house a few times a day.

Mohrman's 1993 Ford F10 pickup truck was parked in front of Browning's home on Monday, a pair of binoculars lying on the passenger-seat floor board.

Saylo said friends had advised Browning to get a protective order, but she declined.

Autopsies are expected to be performed today.