A New Mexico judge is dead after her husband shot her and the family’s pets before turning the gun on himself in a murder-suicide over the holiday weekend, the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Officeannounced.

Diane Albert, 65, was found dead in her Los Ranchos De Albuquerque home on Friday after Eric Pinkerton, 63, shot and killed them both. Pinkerton also killed the couple’s dogs and cat.

Officials believe Pinkerton killed Albert and the animals first, then shot himself.

The statement from the sheriff’s office also noted that a “friend of the decedents contacted deputies after receiving a troubling message from Eric Pinkerton. Upon arrival, deputies located the decedents inside the residence along with several dead animals.”

Judge Diane Albert.Village of Los Ranchos Municipal Court

Judge Diane Albert. Village of Los Ranchos Municipal Court

Local New Mexico news station KOATuncovered dispatch tapes from the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, and reported hearing someone on the dispatch say, “He left a voicemail to his friend stating that he murdered his wife and his dogs and his cat. And he is about to murder himself.”

Albert served as a Municipal Court Judge for the Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque. She was also an activist, ranher own patent-law practice, and was a former president of the Bike Coalition of New Mexico. Pinkerton, a retired engineer, described himself as a “bike shop owner and chicken farmer” on hisLinkedIn page.

Diane Albert’s dogs.Diane Albert/FaceBook

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10223189305304529&set=a.1380912886421 Diane Albert nodSptsoer7u t M 2h b 4 m g e 48

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Bernalillo County sheriff’s deputies removing ducks and additional animals from the home.Chancey Bush/The Albuquerque Journal/AP

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at1-800-799-7233, or go tothehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

source: people.com