Deaths in Houston County ruled to be murder/suicide

Authorities say Yahnna Holland went to check on her parents Tuesday afternoon only to find their slain bodies in the bathroom of the home they shared, just south of Dothan.\

At least a dozen law enforcement officers responded to a report of two individuals shot at a residence off U.S. 231 South. Deputies with the Houston County Sheriff’s Office, troopers with the Alabama State Highway Patrol and Houston County Coroner Robert Byrd responded to the call.

Sheriff Andy Hughes said investigators found the bodies of John Coskrey, 69, and his wife, Carolyn Coskrey, 65.

“All the evidence shows this was most likely a murder/suicide,” Hughes said. “Carolyn Coskrey was shot by John Coskrey, and then he turned the gun upon himself.”

Hughes said investigators seized a handgun and shotgun, which he said were both used during the fatal shootings. He declined to go into detail about who was shot with what weapon.

Hughes said the couple was last known to be alive around 9 a.m., about four hours before law enforcement received the emergency call.

Byrd said Holland went to her parents’ home and found them dead in a bathroom off a bedroom.

“It appears that Mrs. Coskrey died of multiple gunshot wounds, and that Mr. Coskrey died of a single gunshot wound,” Byrd said. “It was very violent, and very tragic. It was very unfortunate that it happened, and that the daughter actually found the parents.”

Hughes declined to talk about any previous domestic history between the Coskreys, but said there was no history of past calls for law enforcement to respond to the residence. He also said no note was found at the home with any sort of explanation for the shooting.

“I’m not going to get into this family’s personal matters,” Hughes said. “We didn’t find any evidence at the scene to indicate any foul play was involved.”

Hughes said investigators found no forced entry to the home, which is located in the 6000 block of U.S. 231, just south of the Dothan city limits.

According to a previous Eagle report, the Coskreys previously owned land adjacent to where the National Peanut Festival grounds are now located. Coskrey held events on the land just south of where the National Peanut Festival relocated from the Houston County Farm Center. That land is also now owned by the Peanut Festival.

Coskrey was the owner and operator of Coskrey Equipment Sales of Dothan.