May 10, 1959
Shelbyville Republican


Death of Local Couple Termed Murder-Suicide.
Husband Kills Wife and Self with Shotgun

Sanford McColley 82, Wife Arzora, 73, Found in Home

County Corner Dr. James Tower said this afternoon he will return an official verdict of murder-suicide in the shotgun deaths of a local couple early today. He said both persons had been in ill health and the husband had been despondent for some time.

A retired building contractor and his wife were found dead in their home at 330 E. Franklin St early today in what authorities said apparently was a murder-suicide.

Dead are Sanford H. "Sank" McColley, 83 and his wife Arzora Mae McColley 73.

County Coroner Dr. James H. Tower was holding an inquest this afternoon at the city hall. The coroner told The News that preliminary investigation shows that Mr. McColley shot his wife in the neck with a 16 gauge shotgun and then turned the gun on himself and died of head wounds.
Police refused to give any information on the case pending the outcome of the inquest. The coroner said the couple was found dead in the bedroom of the home at 1 a.m. today and that the shooting is believed to have followed an argument.

Dr. Tower said Mr. McColley sent notes to his nine surviving children but the contents of the notes were not immediately disclosed. It was learned by the News that Mr. McColley purchased a burial lot in the Lewis Creek Baptist Church cemetery last Thursday.

Double funeral services will be held at the Carmony Funeral Home here at 2:00 p.m. Wednesday. Burial will be in the Lewis Creek Baptist cemetery with Rev. C. M. Hagar and Rev. Paul Motto officiating. Friends may call at the funeral home after noon Tuesday. The Shelby County War Mothers will hold a ceremony Tuesday at 3:00 pm at the funeral home. The WCTU will hold a ceremony at the funeral home 7:30 pm Tuesday.

Mr. McColley was a retired building contractor and house mover and was born July 9, 1876 in Liberty township, a son of John and Margaret Vest McColley. The couple were married April 9, 1905.
Mr. McColley was the last of a family of six children. He was a member of the Trinity Methodist Church and had lived all his life in Shelby County. Mrs. McColley was born May 13, 1885 in Brown County, a daughter of Samuel and Mary E. Branyan. She is survived by a brother Wilmer Branyan, of Lakeville, Minnesota. She was a member of the Shelbyville Seventh Day Adventist Church and the Dorcas Class of that church. Mrs. McColley also was a member of the County War Mothers and the WCTU.

Thirteen children were born to the union and nine survive. They are John W. McColley, RR 1, Shelbyville, Mrs. Mary Jeffries, Mrs. Isabelle Jeffries, Norman McColley, Mrs. Hepza Bassett, and Mrs. Dorothy Brooks all of Shelbyville; James McColley RR 3; Mrs. Goldie Hungerford, RR 4, Rushville; and H. E. McColley RR 2. Twenty-eight grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren also survive.