The mother involved in an apparent murder-suicide in Tennessee last week reportedly left a suicide note at the scene.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Cynthia Collier was found dead in her Spring Hill home on October 15 with her four adopted children: 14-year-old Bo Li; 14-year-old Meigan Lin; 15-year-old Lia Lin; and 17-year-old Kaileigh Lin.
Cynthia and her husband Randall Collier had lived separately for almost a decade, and officially filed for divorce in March of this year. But they withdrew the petition in May. According to court records obtained by the Tennessean, the adopted children had requested to live with their mother, stating in sworn affidavits that they barely knew their father. An adult biological child of the couple also lived in the Spring Hill home, and was reportedly the one who found the scene when they arrived home from work.
Maury County Sheriff Bucky Rowland confirmed to the Columbia Daily Herald this week that a suicide note was found at the scene, but that it did not have a lot of information. In a press conference last week, the sheriff had referenced a clue left at the scene that led authorities to believe the deaths were a result of a murder-suicide.
Sheriff Rowland also told the news outlet that two guns are believed to have been used in the killings. And while he said that the family appeared to live in a loving home, Cynthia Collier may have struggled with mental illness.
“This appears to be a loving home, an immaculate home and very loving family. A motive would be very important to know why someone would do this to her loved ones,” Sheriff Rowland told the Daily Herald. “It’s very difficult when you deal with mental health issues, and I highly recommend you don’t be embarrassed and don’t hesitate, but seek professional help any time that you feel a loved one, or yourself, might be suffering from that.”
