Man who shot himself in Va. Walmart parking lot linked to W.Va. death

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WVIR – STAUNTON - Moorefield, West Virginia police say the man who shot himself Wednesday in the parking lot of a Staunton Wal-Mart is a suspect in a West Virginia murder investigation.

Police in Moorefield, West Virginia, believe Jared D. Connors shot and killed his girlfriend, Joy A. Coby, and then drove her car to Virginia.

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Police say they began looking for Coby, a teacher at Moorefield Middle School, after she didn't show up for work Wednesday morning.  While looking for Coby they also could not find Connors, so they say they tracked his cell phone to Staunton, Virginia.

Virginia State Police say Connors shot himself around 12:30 p.m., as police attempted to talk to him. Connors is listed in critical condition at the University of Virginia Medical Center.

After hearing the Connors had shot himself, Moorefield police extended their search area. Coby's body was found around 2:00 p.m., in a wooded area near her home. Police say she was the victim of fatal gunshot wounds.

Coby's death is under investigation by the Moorefield Police Department.