Authorities Investigating Double Murder- Suicide

The Jackson County Sheriff's Office says a man murdered his parents before killing himself. It happened in the normally quiet Gulf Hills neighborhood in the St. Martin community. The Sheriff says 47-year-old Samuel Phillips beat his mother to death before shooting his paraplegic father four times in the head. He then turned the gun on himself. Investigators believe the murders happened Friday but the Phillips' bodies were not discovered until Monday, "they were well known in that area. Their next door neighbor said they were some of the kindest people you'd ever want to meet. So, we had dealt with him once before last month where he had accidentally shot himself in the leg and he gave, you know, we had no indication that he was violent or anything like that," said Sheriff Mike Byrd.
There's still no word yet on a motive. But, Sheriff Byrd says Samuel Phillips was a heavy drinker and that alcohol played a role in the murders. Investigators are still waiting for toxicology reports.