JACKSON COUNTY, Ore. — A man who was accused of shooting and killing his estranged wife before turning the gun on himself was sentenced Wednesday.
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office said just after midnight on October 20, 2021, dispatchers received a call about a shooting at a home in the 3300 block of Little Applegate Road near Ruch.
When deputies and officers arrived at the home, they found a man barricaded inside.
A SWAT team and JCSO’s Crisis Negotiator Team tried to get the man to exit the home, but he refused.
At 2:49 a.m., a single gunshot was heard as the SWAT team entered the residence.
Deputies found the man, identified as 54-year-old David Allen Karnes, suffering from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
His estranged wife, 54-year-old Constance Murphy, was found dead from apparent gunshot wounds.
Lifesaving measures were performed on David Karnes and an ambulance took him to a local hospital where he was listed as in serious condition.
David Karnes survived his injuries and — on September 6, 2023 — pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter and unlawful use of a weapon. A charge of second-degree murder was dismissed.
Karnes was sentenced to 25 years in prison for his crimes.
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