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Police: Motive unclear in Gardiner murder-suicide, arson case

'We do not know conclusively what set him off and sparked this violence,' Maine's Public Safety Department spokesperson told the Kennebec Journal.

Credit: Andy Molloy/Kennebec Journal

On March 20, Gardiner police Chief James Toman, right, and Sgt. Todd Pilsbury hoist the pickup in which Kenneth Bryant shot himself a day earlier at 16 Fairview St. in Gardiner. Police and fire investigators concluded this week that Bryant shot his estranged wife, Autumn Bryant, in the garage of the residence, drove to Sindey and set her mother's house on fire, then returned to the Gardiner house and killed himself. The pickup was taken to the state police crime laboratory for further examination, police said.

GARDINER, Maine — Police in Maine say a man fatally shot his estranged wife before setting fire to her mother's home and returning to the scene of the shooting to kill himself.

RELATED: Police ID wife, husband killed in Gardiner murder-suicide

Authorities say they still don't know why 48-year-old Kenneth Bryant killed 44-year-old Autumn Bryant in Gardiner and burned her mother's home in Sidney. The Kennebec Journal reports Maine Department of Public Safety spokesman Steve McCausland released details of the investigation Thursday. Police concluded Kenneth Bryant drove to Gardiner to shoot his wife, drove to Sidney to start the fire and then returned to the Gardiner home to kill himself.

RELATED: Sidney home destroyed in fire linked to Gardiner murder-suicide

“We do not know conclusively what set him off and sparked this violence,” McCausland told the KJ.

The gun used in the shootings was a handgun owned by Kenneth Bryant. There were not any protection orders filed against Kenneth Bryant or any known gun restrictions.