Couple kills themselves, 2 dogs in murder-suicide after cancer diagnosis

A husband and wife who were both recently diagnosed with cancer were found dead inside their rural Minnesotan home on Tuesday. The police have ruled it to be a homicide-suicide case.

Forty-five-year-old Steven Alton Stearns and forty-nine-year-old Stacy Lynn Stearns celebrated their 21st wedding anniversary on Sept. 21. This was their last celebration as the two planned to die on their own terms together after discovering they had advanced-stage cancer.

At around 9 a.m., the Becker County Sheriff's Office was called. They found the bodies of Steven and Stacy, along with their two dogs, inside the couple's Detroit Lakes home. The Ramsey County Medical Examiner's Office ruled Stacy's death to be a homicide and Steven's death a suicide, according to the police's official report.

The Forum reports that the couple posted a message on their joint Facebook page just before their deaths. It read: "To our loved ones. We chose to leave this world as we lived in it. In love and together. Our only regret is the sorrow [of] our loved ones. Remember the laughter and happiness We love you. Goodbye."

A close friend of Steven and Stacy revealed that the pair had been planning their murder-suicide for a long time. Tammy Lawrence shared, "They wanted to go together with their dogs. He made me promise not to say anything to anybody. Stacy did not want him to tell me, but he said I can't look in your eyes and lie to you anymore, and somebody has to be able to tell people why we are going to do what we were going to do."

The pair have been described as "lovable people; they are big and lovable, and when they hug you, you felt warm and secure" by friends. They loved each other and would frequently show public displays of affection. "They said it all the time, always giving each other a kiss or a pat on the rear, always loving each other," said Lawrence.