Police officer told colleagues that his wife shot and killed herself just days after she accused him of domestic violence and warned her friends something might ‘happen’ to her
- Amanda Perrault, 44, was found dead on Monday in Putnam County, Georgia
- Her husband Michael told cops they had been arguing when she shot herself
- He did not call 911 but instead called the Eatonton police chief, where he worked
- ‘He says it’s a suicide, but we’re looking at it with the utmost scrutiny’, Sheriff Howard Sills said; the death wasn’t immediately ruled a suicide or a homicide
- She told a friend to keep pictures of her alleged abuse ‘in case anything ever happens to me’ and said Micheal took out life insurance without her knowledge
Michael Perrault was arrested last week and charged with simple battery, family violence and cruelty to children in the third degree
A Georgia police officer whose wife was found dead days after accusing him of domestic violence claims she shot herself dead while the two were arguing.
Amanda Perrault, 44, was found at her home on Monday with a single gunshot to her head, Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills said.
Her husband Michael Perrault, 43, told authorities that he and his wife were arguing when she pulled out a gun and shot herself.
He did not call 911 but instead called his boss, the Eatonton police chief, who then alerted the relevant authorities.
Amanda’s death wasn’t immediately ruled a suicide or a homicide. She had told friend Carrie Tegeder to keep pictures of her alleged abuse ‘in case anything ever happens to me’.
She also told friends Micheal took out a life insurance policy against her without her knowledge.
Sheriff Howard Sills told The Daily Beast: ‘He says it’s a suicide, but we’re looking at it with the utmost scrutiny.’ Sills added: ‘I’ve either got a suicide or a murder. That’s what I have. I mean it’s just that simple. It could be either way.’
Amanda Perrault, 44, was found dead at her home on Monday. Husband Michael Perrault told authorities that he and his wife were arguing when she pulled out a gun and shot herself
On the day of her death Amanda has changed her Facebook profile picture to this image
Michael Perrault was arrested last week and charged with simple battery, family violence and cruelty to children in the third degree.
He had been a Eatonton police officer since 2018 and was placed on administrative leave after the arrest.
Perrault told authorities he didn’t hit his wife, but the couple’s eight-year-old daughter said she saw her father shove her mom out of the entryway of the home.
Sills said Amanda Perrault, who called her husband ‘super jealous’, had red marks on her neck and chest.
Amanda had earlier written to friends saying: ‘Have a nice place but living in a prison. Going to delete these msgs… He may still see them… But keep them for me pls.
‘I’m good for now, I promise. Held my own for 8 yrs with him.’
On the day of her death Amanda has changed her Facebook profile picture to an image from their wedding.
When authorities arrived at the couple’s home Monday, Sills said Michael Perrault was ‘very distraught.’ Perrault was questioned but not arrested.
Michael Perrault told authorities he didn’t hit his wife, but the couple’s eight-year-old daughter said she saw her father shove her mom out of the entryway of the home
Sills said he’s asked the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to assistance in the case.
He added: ‘We responded to the scene immediately, and we found his wife dead of a single gunshot wound in their bedroom. He told us they had been arguing and that she produced a handgun and killed herself.’
Michael Perrault did not call his wife’s parents following her death. They told The Daily Beast he had returned to the family home in the wake of his arrest as Amanda ‘said he had nowhere else to go’.