Lillainya Rachko, 29, was beaten to death in Beechview just after midnight on January 1, 2010. Murray’s mother, who was upstairs, called 911 during the assault.

After the attack Murray fled, cutting himself with a kitchen knife and then driving to his home on Camarta Drive. Police and a SWAT team later entered his residence and found him dead in his car in the garage from self-inflicted cuts. Authorities described the couple’s relationship as on-again, off-again and said alcohol was involved.

What details about Rachko’s last hours or the relationship’s history might help explain how the violence escalated?