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Suspect in 3 killings turns gun on self

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SUGAR LOAF, N.C. -- A man still sorting through a divorce shot himself to death early Friday after killing three people, including his ex-wife, and kidnapping two of his children, authorities said.

Leigh Millstead didn't know what was going on just a few hundred yards from her back porch Friday morning. She says her normally quiet neighborhood exploded with police activity.

"I didn't hear anything," she said. "Then I saw all those cars and a SWAT come driving by."

Police came out to the home of an unidentified man after learning that 45-year-old Richard Douglas Heatwole, a suspect in a triple shooting, was inside the mobile home at the end of Ode Kerley Road north of Taylorsville in Alexander County.

This incident started more than 100 miles away in Buncombe County at Heatwole's house in Candler.

Police say when Heatwole's ex-wife Angela came by to pick up their two children he shot and killed her and another person in his house.

Richard Heatwole

Buncombe County Sheriff's Office spokesman Lt. Ross Dillingham said the two had been divorced for about a year and were in the middle of settling property issues. But he said it still wasn't clear what drove him to kill.

"Who knows what could possess someone to do something this crazy?" Dillingham said. "I don't even want to speculate on any motive, and I don't know that we'll ever know now that they're both deceased."

A family member reported Angela missing and that's when Buncombe County sheriff deputies went by the house and found the two bodies. Officers also found another person dead in a nearby house.

The victims were identified Friday afternoon as 44-year-old Divina Gracia Agulto, who was renting a room at Heatwole's home, and 43-year-old Lesley Curtis Moore Keogh, who lived next door.

Buncombe County activated the Amber Alert for Heatwole's children, 10-year-old Haley and 6-year-old Hayes.

At first police thought Heatwole may have been heading to Florida where he has family. The Amber Alert triggered a public tip, which led them to Heatwole's cousin's home in Alexander County.

"Because he was wanted for the triple homicide we called out extra units," said Chief Deputy Chris Bowman of the Alexander County Sheriff's Office.

Bowman said after getting to the house they heard a shot.

"We didn't know if anyone was hurt or what," Bowman said.

For four hours, officers tried to convince Heatwole's cousin to come out as they occasionally saw 10-year-old Haley emerge in front of one the windows of the trailer.

Around 6 a.m. Friday, officers entered the home after finding out that Heatwole was down in a front room of the trailer.

"We used some equipment from the SBI that was able to show that the suspect was down," Bowman said.

Both children were unharmed and are in the custody of the Buncombe County Sheriff's Department.

"They are OK. They said they were hungry, wanted something to eat," Bowman said.

Deputies took Heatwole's cousin to the sheriff's department for questioning.

Relatives said they are still in shock over the entire ordeal.

"It's really hard. All I can do is leave it in the Lord's hands and he'll take care of us," said Dawn Gibson, Heatwole's cousin.

Heatwole has been probation since March 2008 for a Florida drug charge, according to records there.