By Jesse Wood
March 3, 2014. Curtis and Julie Miller, the couple that was found dead in their home in Deep Gap on Friday, died from “close-contact gunshot wounds to the head,” a pathologist with the Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center confirmed on Monday afternoon.
Curtis was 62 and Julie was 59, according to obituaries on the Hampton Funeral Home website.
Dr. Selly Strauch said she performed the autopsies on Saturday.
“I talked with a detective and that is all I am at liberty to say,” Strauch said. “I can’t extrapolate on that.”
Watauga County Sheriff Len Hagaman noted that investigators were on the scene Friday evening “gathering and processing information” and immediately released little details on the incident. A few hours later on Friday night, Hagaman released details that he said he was able to confirm.
He said deputies were dispatched to 447 Wildwood Drive at around 2:30 p.m. Friday and found two unresponsive individuals – a male and female believed to be in their mid-to-late 50’s or early 60’s. No vital signs were present, he noted.
Hagaman also said that no other suspects, person(s) of interest were being sought regarding the deaths.
In the latest update on Monday afternoon, Hagaman wrote in an email: “The local medical examiner assigned to the case has yet to review the findings of the Medical Examiner’s Office in Winston-Salem.”
Read initial story published on Friday:
Feb. 28, 2014. Two people were found dead in a Deep Gap home on Friday afternoon.
At 6 p.m. on Friday, Watauga County Sheriff Len Hagaman wrote in an email that “investigators were on the scene and are gathering and processing information.”
Dave Faherty of WSOC-TV was first to report the incident. While Hagaman hasn’t released many details, Faherty wrote that the couple were in their 50’s and that someone called officials after finding the two dead at 447 Wildwood Drive in Deep Gap around 3 p.m. Friday. Faherty also reported that the sheriff didn’t suspect foul play.
Watauga County 911 Communications 911 sent out a text just before 5 p.m. that an “unknown problem (man down)” occurred at the address.
In the same email at 6 p.m., Hagaman didn’t add any other details, saying: “Nothing to report at this time.”
At 9 p.m., Hagaman emailed reporters with what he could confirm so far:
“I can confirm that on Friday, February 28 at approximately 2:31 p.m., a CAD (Computer Aided Dispatch) was dispatched to WCSO Deputies to respond to 447 Wildwood Drive, approximately 2 miles from the Wildcat Road/Old US-421 South intersection.
According to the ProQA CAD protocol the call was dispatched as a 32 D (Delta) 01 – “unknown problem/ man down.”
Deputies entered a 2 story residence and found 2 unresponsive individuals – a male and a female, believed to be in their mid to late 50’s, or early 60’s.
WCSO investigators were contacted by on scene deputies to respond, as no response of any kind was obtained from the individuals, and no vital signs were present, nor obtained from co-dispatched Deep Gap First Responders and Watauga Medics.
Medical personnel then departed the area, and the WCSO CI Group began the processing of the 2 story residence for information and evidence.
A BOLO for a white vehicle was given out, as it was reported that the vehicle which was normally at the residence could not be found.
This BOLO was canceled when it was learned that the vehicle had been located at a local car repair shop. The vehicle had been taken in for a scheduled routine repairs several days ago.
Information obtained as part of the investigation indicate that no suspects, nor person(s) of interest, are being sought regarding the deaths.
The on site information and forensic evidence is being processed and collated for review by the Medical Examiner’s Office.”