On the morning of Saturday, January 13, 2024, deputies responding to a rural Ripley County address in Doniphan, Missouri, found the bodies of 50-year-old Eric Pudivitir and his 44-year-old wife, Kathryn Ann Pudivitir. Both had fatal gunshot wounds; authorities described the deaths as a double homicide. The couple had been married since 2002 and were described as active, helpful members of their community.

A multiagency Major Case Squad that included the Ripley County Sheriff’s Office, Doniphan Police Department, and the Missouri State Highway Patrol investigated the scene. The next day, January 14, 2024, 19-year-old Dillon Andrew Leroux of Doniphan was arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of armed criminal action, first-degree burglary, and unlawful use of a weapon. Investigators said Leroux admitted entering the couple’s home and shooting them; he was held in the Ripley County Jail without bond pending an initial court appearance set for January 17, 2024. The motive has not been disclosed.

Does anyone from the Doniphan area have information about the Pudivitirs or about events around January 13 that could help the investigation?