Springfield, Mo. -- Police said Thursday a Springfield man killed his wife before shooting himself in the head. Officers found the bodies of Jason Nickols, 41, and Doris Nickols, 51, inside their home in South Springfield Monday.
"It appears as if Jason shot Doris three times, two of which what we consider the fatal blows, and then took his life afterwards, shooting himself in the head," said Springfield Police Spokesman Corporal Matt Brown.
Police said they may never know exactly what lead up to Nickols killing his wife and then himself, but they do know the couple had a history of problems.
"This is the worst case scenario that can absolutely befall a couple. It doesn't get any worse than this." Brown said.
"Just shock more than anyting, still kind of in shock. It's just hard to visualize this happened to her," said Sally Simons, one of Doris Nickol's coworkers
Nickols worked at the Ozark Treasures Antiques and Fleamarket on South Campbell in Springfield.
"Happy go lucky and never met a stranger and just excited and excited about what she was doing," Simons said of her coworker and friend.
Nickols ran a booth at the store, and coworkers said she loved interacting with customers.
"If she had problems, we didn't know about them. None of us did," Simons said.
Just days after police discovered the couple's bodies at their South Springfield home, people who knew them are struggling to make sense of the tragedy.
"As far as them personally and who could've got involved and who could've helped, I'm sure that's something relatives and friends will be asking themselves many many years to come," Brown said.
Police hope the horrific ending might serve as a warning for others in potentially-dangerous relationships.
"If people are in a relationship where it's a troubled relationship, we want them to look to law enforcement and to outside help to get away from that relationship," Brown said.
Police said they are yet to turn their findings over to the Greene County Prosecutor's office, but they do not believe anyone else was involved.
