UINTAH COUNTY, Utah — Newly obtained court documents reveal what led to the deaths of a mother and son in eastern Utah on New Year's Eve.
On Dec. 31, 42-year-old Mark Ryan Bingham was found dead inside a home that was on fire in Vernal. Shortly afterward, 72-year-old Patricia Bingham (Mark's mother) was found dead from a gunshot wound at a residential care facility in the neighboring town of Naples.
A search warrant, obtained by FOX 13 News on Tuesday and filed on Jan. 4, authorized police to seize data from Mark's electronic devices.
The warrant also includes information indicating that Mark shot his mother before returning home and killing himself.
Police said a delayed group text message was sent from Mark's phone later that day that read: "By the time you get this, I will have murdered my mom and myself." His phone was found in his car.
Mark died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, according to police. Investigators found that there was accelerant throughout the house, along with a melted gasoline container. It's believed Mark started the fire before killing himself in the bathroom.
Inside the house, police found 14 shell casings from a .40 caliber handgun, which matched the gun found near Mark's body. A matching shell casing was found at the scene of his mother's murder.
It is unclear at this time what the motive behind the murder-suicide may have been.
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For those struggling with thoughts of suicide, the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline can now be reached by simply dialing 988 any time for free support. Resources are also available online at utahsuicideprevention.org.
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Resources for domestic violence victims/prevention (free, 24/7, confidential):
Utah Domestic Violence Coalition
- Hotline: 1-800-897-LINK (5465)
- Online help: udvc.org
National Domestic Violence Hotline
- 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
- Online live chat: thehotline.org
- If you or someone else is in immediate danger, or in an emergency, call 9-1-1 immediately.
