WHERE Incident Happened: Smith and Cruson Slough Day Use Area, US Hwy 14, Lone Rock
What happened: On 08/13/2023 at approximately 8:23pm, the Richland County Sheriff’s Office located a vehicle that was included in an attempt to locate (ATL) for a “check welfare” request out of the City of Madison. Two Madison women were reported missing by a family member after they failed to return home after a hike at Devil’s Lake State Park. A phone ping was conducted and allowed a deputy with Richland County to locate the vehicle in the Smith and Cruson Slough DNR land, just off of US Hwy 14, near Lone Rock. The deputy located two females dead inside the vehicle due to an apparent murder-suicide. A 25-year-old woman was found with a gunshot wound and a 60-year-old woman was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Nothing else suspicious was located at the scene and there is no perceived threat to the public.
The investigation remains ongoing and the names of the deceased females are being withheld at this time pending proper notification of family members and more information will be released at a later date.
Other Agencies Involved: Richland County Coroner