Madison sheriff: Man kills wife, self

Madison County Sheriff Erik J. Weaver confirmed Saturday that a couple was fatally shot in their Ridgeview Road home late Friday night.

Officers believe the deaths of Manuel Paul Nicholson Jr., 35, and Cynthia D. Nicholson, 34, were the result of a murder-suicide.

Deputies were dispatched to the home in the 3100 block of Ridgeview Road around 9:55 p.m., according to a release from Weaver’s office.

Upon arrival, they found Cynthia Nicholson laying on the floor with a fatal gunshot wound to the upper torso. They suspected Manuel Paul Nicholson Jr., but could not find him immediately in the residence.

Nicholson later was found in the garage of the residence with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the upper torso, Weaver said.

An autopsy is scheduled for Monday at the forensic laboratory in Fairfax.

An investigation of the incident is ongoing, Weaver said.