Idaho Mayoral Candidate and Woman Found Dead in Coffee Shop, and Police Say It Was Murder-Suicide

Police in Idaho say that a mayoral candidate and a coffee shop manager are dead of gunshot wounds in a murder-suicide.

Jared Murphy, 28, was running for mayor of the small town of Bellevue, Idaho, but worked as a police officer for the neighboring town of Hailey. Authorities say he and 34-year-old Ashley Midby were found dead of gunshot wounds at the Coffee Corner on Oct. 22, a Bellevue eatery that she managed.

Police have not specified who the killer was.

Police say that Murphy and Midby knew each other, but did not elaborate on the nature of their relationship.

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A friend of Midby has started a GoFundMe page to financially help the employees at the coffee shop that Midby managed.

"I am fundraising for the family to help cover unexpected expenses; such as loss of income for employees," friend Jennifer Frankin wrote on the fundraising site. "The money raised will be used to support this family and the business (employees) Ashley loved."

Franklin continued: "We will also fight in legislation to enact laws that protect domestic violence/abuse victims to help ensure more protection for women."

Mayor Martha Burke tells KTVB-TV that Midby was from a prominent family in the community, and that the community will deeply feel her loss.

"Our deepest condolences go out to the friends, coworkers, certainly the families, and all those so painfully impacted by this extreme tragedy," said Burke tells the station. "The loss of young life pains us all, and we, with the entire local community, deeply grieve these losses."

Midby's mother, Karne Tackett, expressed her sorrow on Facebook.

"This world lost a beautiful ray of sunshine,” Tackett wrote. "May her bright smile, her cheerful spirit, her tender loving heart live on. There is absolutely no greater pain than losing your child. No words can be found to fully express this pain our family is feeling."

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