Update 9:54 p.m.

Feeling concerned, James Hale's brother went to his Breathitt County home after not hearing from him from some time.

"Family hadn't heard from them in about a week", said Major Mike Wolfe of the Breathitt County Sheriff's Office. "Knocked on the door, knew their vehicles were home. So he made entry."

Inside the home off of Highway 30 West, 57-Year-old James Hale and 55-year-old Alice Herald were both found shot dead.

"He was either coming in the door or standing at the door when he was shot", said Wolfe. "And as he proceeded through the house or advanced toward her, she fired two or three more times."

Wolfe says he believes Herald then grabbed another gun which she used to take her own life.

"My theory is that he won't have any gunshot residue on his hands and she will have two different calibers of residue on her hands", said Wolfe.

Officials say the couple dated for about two years. There were no reports of domestic violence between them.

"The autopsy will give us the official time of death but the decomposition on the bodies, it would appear that they've been deceased for seven to ten days", said Wolfe.

When asked about whether anyone else could have been involved, Wolfe says he does not believe so.

"His wallet was still there an intact, all of his credit cards, money was still there, the house wasn't ransacked", said Wolfe. "The medication, there was prescription medication that was out in the open, televisions, firearms."

Both bodies are being sent to Frankfort for autopsies.

We are told James Hale leaves behind three children.

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Authorities are investigating after two bodies were found Monday morning.

The Breathitt County Coroner tells us he was called out to a home on Highway 30 W. in the Shoulderblade community.

Two people were pronounced dead at 11:15 a.m. The bodies were sent to the medical examiner for an autopsy.

The Breathitt County Sheriff's Office told WYMT Alice Harold, 55, of Perry County, shot and killed her boyfriend, James Hale, 57, of Breathitt County, before killing herself.

The way the bodies were found and where the empty shell casings were found led officials to this conclusion.

We are Hale's brother found them. He went to check on them after not hearing from them for some time.

"The decomposition on the bodies would indicate, you know, the autopsy will give us the official time of death, but the decomposition on the bodies, it would appear that they have been deceased seven to ten days," said Major Mike Wolfe with the Breathitt County Sheriff's Office.

Officials said there are no signs that anyone broke into the home. Valuable items were all still inside the home. Investigators are looking to learn whose hands test positive for gunshot residue during the autopsy, but said they are confident in what they believe happened.

We will continue to update this story as we learn more.