A Mesa couple wanted for questioning by the FBI in connection with child pornography was found holding hands and shot dead in a car parked off U.S. 60 in Gila County, authorities said.
On Thursday morning, a passing motorist called 911 after spotting what was believed to be a vehicle crash on the north side of Salt River Canyon between Show Low and Globe, Gila County sheriff's Detective Johnny Holmes said.
Inside a car parked at a lookout point were Paul Gauthreaux, 39, and Myrtis Gauthreaux, 32. Their deaths were an apparent murder-suicide, Holmes said.
"We believe he shot her and then turned the gun on himself," Holmes said.
Phoenix FBI spokeswoman Deb McCarley said a tipster had reported that the Gauthreauxs were connected to Internet pictures of adults depicting themselves in sexually explicit acts with minors.
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The FBI began looking for the couple the same day that authorities found them dead.
A note the sheriff's office found at the scene of the shooting tells of the couple's fear of persecution and prosecution.
"We feel this is the only way out. It's not admitting guilt. Only saying that by the time it would all be said and done, our lives would be ruined anyway," reads the note signed "All our love Emmy and Paul."
The couple wrote that they never hurt anyone and couldn't go through with the humiliation of being tried in court.
McCarley said there were no charges against the couple, and the FBI wanted to talk to them to determine if they were in the photos. The case is still under investigation.
The investigation is being conducted under the FBI's innocent images program, which focuses on online child pornography.
