if a Dallas Mayor can freak out like this, anybody can

Texas mayor apparently shot teen daughter, self


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Letters and flowers lay on the front steps of Coppell Mayor Jayne Peters' home Wednesday, July 14, 2010 in Coppell, Texas. The mayor of the upscale suburb of Dallas and her teenage daughter were found shot to death at their home, city officials said Wednesday. Police discovered the bodies of Peters, 55, and Corrine Peters, 19, Tuesday evening, city spokeswoman Sharon Logan said. Police found no signs of forced entry, Logan said. (AP Photo/Cody Duty) (Cody Duty - AP)

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By ELIDA S. PEREZ
The Associated Press
Wednesday, July 14, 2010; 9:10 PM
COPPELL, Texas -- The mayor of an upscale Dallas suburb apparently shot her teenage daughter to death before fatally shooting herself, after leaving notes at their home warning officers about the scene they would find and outlining how to manage family affairs, police said Wednesday.

An envelope taped to the front door of Mayor Jayne Peters' home contained a key to the house and a typed note advising police they would discover something unpleasant inside, Coppell Deputy Police Chief Steve Thomas said.

Three other notes contained instructions for handling affairs, such as taking care of the family dogs, but did not provide explanations for the deaths of the 55-year-old Peters and her 19-year-old daughter, Corinne.

"It appeared to me that there had been some thought," Thomas said.

Police found the bodies Tuesday after the mayor failed to show up at a city council meeting. They said the Dallas County Medical Examiner's Office ruled Wednesday that the case should be officially classified as a homicide-suicide investigation.



"Forensic tests (and) procedures performed point to Corinne being the victim in this tragedy, with Mayor Peters subsequently taking her own life," police said in a statement. "Both of the fatal injuries are a result of a single gun shot wounds."

Thomas said the weapon was a semiautomatic handgun and there were no signs of a struggle.

"Everybody in the room is like, 'Did we miss a sign?'" Bob Mahalik, mayor pro tem who is now acting mayor of the city, said of council members' reaction to the deaths. "It's hard to wrap your arms around it."

Mahalik said he had a gut feeling something wasn't right when the mayor didn't turn up for the meeting.

"But nowhere in your wildest dreams did you think it would be that far not right," he said.

A small collection of flowers, wreaths and cards decorated the front porch of the Peters' 3,850 square-foot brick home, where the mayor and her daughter lived alone. A printed letter said: "Please know that you are loved no matter what happens. I know that God is with you and giving you comfort. You both are with Don, a wonderful husband and father. A family again."

The mayor's husband, Donald Peters, died of cancer in 2008 at the age of 58.