William Oscar Small: Former cop with history of domestic violence kills wife before turning gun on himself in murder-suicide

William Oscar Small and his wife Heather Davenport Small were found dead with gunshot wounds inside their home

PUBLISHED FEB 23, 2023

William Oscar Small and his wife Heather Davenport Small (GoFundMe)

PITTY COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA: A former North Carolina police officer, who had a long history of domestic violence arrests, reportedly shot and killed his wife before turning the gun on himself. William Oscar Small, 62, and his wife Heather Davenport Small, 44, who was also a former police officer, were found dead with gunshot wounds inside their home on February 4, according to local law enforcement in Pitt County.

"A weapon was recovered from the scene and there were no signs of forced entry to the home," authorities said in the release. "The deaths were determined to be a murder-suicide." The findings of the autopsy showed that Heather was the victim and William was the suspect. It was also stated that the wife was shot four times while the husband had two close-range gunshot wounds. "Two of the fatal shots fired were to the chest and from a sufficient distance to indicate that she could not have fired the shots," the release states. "Mr Small had two close-range gunshot wounds to his chest that were indicative of suicide."

2 Detroit cops believed to be in relationship found dead inside home in apparent murder-suicide

Authorities also noted that William has been accused of domestic violence against his wife several times, People reported. "Mr. Small also had a long history as a suspect and as an arrestee for crimes of domestic violence stretching back over the past two decades against Mrs. Small," the sheriff's office said in the release.

'She is truly irreplaceable'

William had served in the Marine Corps and had previously worked as a Greenville police officer, according to his obituary. He was employed by the Greenville Police Department from 1994 to 2000. Heather, on the other hand, began her law enforcement career in 1998 as an officer with the now-disbanded Pitt County Memorial Hospital Police Department. She then transitioned to the medical field and become a Clinical Adjunct Nursing Instructor at Pitt Community College, as per her obituary. "Heather was able to look beyond the bad, be forgiving of the ugly, and see the goodness in everyone," her obituary reads. "She is truly irreplaceable and will be greatly missed." A GoFundMe has also been organized to aid the couple’s multiple children.

Another murder-suicide

In a similar incident, two Detroit police officers, identified as Matthew Ethington II, 26, and Maria Martin, 22, were found dead Sunday, February 19 at a home in Livonia, Michigan. The officers, who were said to be dating, reportedly died after what their fellow police believe was a domestic quarrel and murder-suicide. Investigators say Martin was shot multiple times, and Ethington died from a single gunshot wound that appeared to be self-inflicted.