Update – Wednesday – 12:15 a.m. – Police say the two deaths in Potomac Tuesday are being investigated as a murder-suicide in which a man killed his employer's wife then himself after a workplace dispute.
Police said the body found inside the Great Elm Drive home is believed to be the employer's wife.
The investigation into the motive is focusing on a work dispute surrounding the employee's duties, according to police.
Police believe the suspect left the workplace and went to his employer's home where he killed the woman, then fled the scene in a black Mercedes and killed himself.
First responders located the man dead in the vehicle after a nearby collision with a tree at the corner of River Road and Piney Meetinghouse Road. A handgun was found in the vehicle. Police are waiting for autopsies to be completed to confirm the manner and cause of the deaths.
Police plan to provide more details at a 1:15 p.m. press conference.
Suspect and male homeowner have employee/employer relationship. Yesterday, internal issue at work re: suspect's employment duties.
— Montgomery Co Police (@mcpnews) October 1, 2014
MCP is presuming that victim is the female homeowner and wife of male homeowner. There is no known relationship between victim and suspect.
— Montgomery Co Police (@mcpnews) October 1, 2014
Firefighters first encountered the man dead in the vehicle around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday afternoon and minutes after were called to the house at 12045 Great Elm Drive, where they discovered the woman's body after extinguishing a small fire inside the garage.
The body was found inside the garage at the home, according to Pete Piringer, a spokesman for the fire department. Great Elm Drive is located about two to three miles south from the intersection of River Road and Piney Meetinghouse.
Police said the calls for the fatal crash and the fire came in within a minute of each other.
Bethesda Beat will continue to update this story as we receive more information.
U/D @mcpnews MCP conducting death investigation 240p #mcfrs FFs arrived 12045 Great Elm Dr, small fire, DOA in garage pic.twitter.com/apGyQ66E4o
— Pete Piringer (@mcfrsPIO) September 30, 2014
MCP investigating 2 deaths in area of Piney Meetinghouse Rd/River Rd. PIO en route. Media staging area TBD.
— Montgomery Co Police (@mcpnews) September 30, 2014
U/D Piney Meeting House Rd near River Rd, tree on top of car, car hit tree, victim pronounced DOA, some roads CLOSED in area
— Pete Piringer (@mcfrsPIO) September 30, 2014
U/D. Great Elm Dr, FFs located a deceased victim in garage area, small fire was extinguished, MCP conducting death investigation
— Pete Piringer (@mcfrsPIO) September 30, 2014
Breaking: Body found in house fire in Potomac, and person found in crashed car nearby had gunshot wound. Are the two connected?SKY9 @wusa9
— Bill Starks (@BillStarks) September 30, 2014
Bodies found in Montgomery Co. house, crashed car http://t.co/k8vKipuowS pic.twitter.com/hBskmjr9U7
— wusa9 (@wusa9) September 30, 2014
House site marked on map, location of collision with tree marked by "USA" marker
