Police suspect murder-suicide

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An elderly Scarborough couple who were struggling with health problems have been found shot to death in their home in what police are calling an apparent murder-suicide.

Emergency crews rushed to the couple's bungalow at 1366 Pharmacy Ave., south of Ellesmere Road, at around 7 p.m. Tuesday after someone, possibly a relative, found one of the bodies and called 911.

Police said an 81-year-old woman was located in a bedroom with an apparent gunshot wound. An 83-year-old man was later found in the garage, also with an apparent gunshot wound.

Police believe the man shot the woman and then turned the gun on himself.

"There are no suspects outstanding in this investigation," police said in a news release.

Police didn't release the names of the deceased, but neighbours identified them as Ed and Jessie Kling.

"They were both in rough shape. He had heart failure. She had cancer," said next-door neighbour Jim Patsakos.

"They were the nicest, sweetest people in the world. ... We saw them go slowly downhill over the years."

Patsakos said the couple lived in the home for more than 50 years.

"They would say 'Hi' to everyone who would walk by their house. Everybody knew them," Patsakos said. "He loved being outside. He loved gardening."

Patsakos said he can't believe what happened.

"It's just shocking," he said. "It would never even cross your mind that something like this would happen."

Longtime area resident Ramon Smith said Ed, a retired college teacher, was a Second World War veteran and was active in the Royal Canadian Legion.

"Somebody told me he probably had a gun left over from World War Two," Smith said. "Apparently he just had a visit in the hospital recently and I was told that he had all of his medication changed. I don't know if everything got just overwhelming for him."

Smith said the couple have a son, Barry, two daughters, Debbie and Sandy, and several grandchildren.

Jessie was a stay-at-home mom.

"She was really outgoing. She was always upbeat. She always had a little joke," Smith said. "This is a real shock: when you've known somebody almost 50 years and now they're gone. ... I'm going to miss them both."

This is the city's 68th homicide of 2007.