Navy Veteran and Family Found Dead in Apparent Murder-Suicide
Authorities are investigating the deaths of a Navy veteran, his wife, and their teenage daughter found in their San Diego home.
A Navy veteran, his wife, and their 13-year-old daughter were found dead in their San Diego home, in what authorities are investigating as a potential murder-suicide. The San Diego Police Department responded to a 911 call Wednesday morning reporting unresponsive individuals at the residence.
Officers discovered David Voight, 56, and his wife, Amy Voight, 54, deceased from apparent gunshot wounds. The couple was pronounced dead at the scene. The couple's daughter, identified by her maternal grandparents as 13-year-old Mya, was also found dead in the house, having sustained gunshot wounds. A firearm was recovered at the property.
Mya's grandparents, Mary and Jerry Austin, told local affiliate KUSI that David Voight, a retired Navy warrant officer with three decades of service, had been struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) stemming from his deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan. According to the Austins, Amy Voight had attempted to seek mental health assistance for her husband the day before the family was found dead, reportedly visiting a clinic on her birthday, but was turned away without an appointment.
Quinn Slaven, press secretary for the Department of Veterans Affairs, stated that all VA healthcare facilities offer same-day mental healthcare to veterans who request it, and that the department cannot comment on specific cases due to privacy concerns. Slaven added that allegations of VA services turning away veterans in need are inaccurate.
Amy Voight was employed as a digital forensics analyst for the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and David Voight was a decorated officer. The San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office is conducting autopsies to determine the official causes and manners of death for the family.
A neighbor, who had a key to the home for pet-sitting, alerted authorities after Mya did not leave for school on Wednesday morning. The neighbor reported hearing loud noises the night before. Police have not yet confirmed the nature of the investigation.