PAGOSA SPRINGS, Colo. - An Arizona couple followed through with a decades-long plan to end their lives before the ravages of old age took their toll.

Lansing C. Holden, 83, and his wife, Carol, 78, were found shot to death July 26 in a remote cabin south of Pagosa Springs in Archuleta County. Archuleta County Coroner Carl Macht on Wednesday said the deaths had been classified as a murder-suicide.

The Holdens were longtime residents of Sedona. They came to southwest Colorado in mid-July, rented a home in a scenic location, and ended their lives lying side by side, Macht said.

Mr. Holden shot his wife in the right temple and then turned the gun on himself, Macht said.

The couple e-mailed the homeowner before the shooting and asked that a cleaning lady be sent by. She discovered the bodies July 26 � about a day after they had been shot. "She was really shaken up," Macht said.

Authorities were unsure at first what to make of the two deaths. Six days before the discovery of the bodies, two men escaped from the Archuleta County jail, and the fugitives were last seen on the same remote county road where the Holdens were found dead, Macht said.

"We were trying to figure out the timing and whether these escapees drove by and staged a murder-suicide," he said.

The Holdens were members of the Final Exit Network, a nonprofit that promotes "the right of every adult to a peaceful, dignified death," according to its Web site. Members receive consultations and advice about suicide methods.

She wore an orange plastic bracelet that read, "Do not resuscitate" from the Hemlock Society, a national right-to-die organization.

Such groups typically recommend less-violent means of death, like a lethal dose of medication, rather than a gunshot.

The Holdens had a daughter who lives in California. They discussed their plans with her as early as the 1970s or 1980s, the daughter told authorities.

She was distraught to learn of her parents' deaths, Macht said.

The Holdens were in fairly good condition considering their age, Macht said. Mr. Holden had the beginnings of heart disease and she had digestive issues. Mr. Holden spent his career as an architect in the East; Mrs. Holden was a former editor at Time. They retired to an island in their 40s and later moved to Arizona. They left behind a suicide note signed by both participants and notarized March 3, 2010, in Arizona. The letter read:

"Many years ago we decided to be in charge of the timing of our own death. Hopefully it would be when the lines of normal aging, health problems and finances all crossed.

"It is our intention to avoid the indignities of prolonged nursing home care or terminal hospitalization. Unfortunately, there is little chance of death with dignity' under present laws which do not recognize our right to die a peaceful and painless death at the time and place of our own choosing.

"We have concentrated on the quality rather than the quantity of our lives together, and now it is time to move on while we are still in control. We want our bodies to be cremated directly and no religious or memorial services."