A murder-suicide at the scene of a house fire early Tuesday morning in Berks County has left authorities with more questions than answers.

What investigators do know is that Stefan Strunk shot his wife, Joy Strunk, once in the head in front of their home at 21 Creeks Edge Road in Oley Township.

Fire crews were initially called at 3:56 a.m. Tuesday for smoke wafting near routes 662 and 562 in Amity Township, but could not find the source.

About a half-hour later, the Strunks’ neighbor called to report the couple’s house was engulfed in flames, and that Joy Strunk’s body was in a driveway by a barn with a firearm next to her head and blood around her, said Detective Sgt. Deron Manndel with Central Berks Regional Police.

A fire chief from Amity Township was the first person at the smokey scene.

Manndel said when the chief pulled up to the blaze, he found Stefan Strunk sitting in a motorized wheelchair in the driveway. Strunk motioned toward where his wife’s body was by the barn, police said.

The chief pulled his truck into the neighbor’s driveway and as he got out, he heard a gunshot; Stefan Strunk shot himself in the head underneath a tree on the property, police said.

The husband and wife each died from a single gunshot wound, and police said they believe Joy Strunk’s wound was not self-inflicted. Central Berks police said the firearm used to kill Joy Strunk was fired four times, but she was shot once in the head. Revolvers were used for both killings.

Stefan Strunk started the house fire with a propane blowtorch, but investigators are not sure if he set the blaze before or after he killed his wife.

The couple, both 62, met in high school and had been together since they were 19, Manndel said. Speaking with people close to the couple, authorities said there was a history of domestic issues with the couple, including emotional and verbal abuse, and control issues.

People had urged Joy Strunk to leave her husband, but Manndel said he wasn’t sure if that’s what she was doing.

“It seemed to be not the best relationship, not the best marriage,” he added.

Central Berks started covering Oley Township in 2018 and had one call to the address during that time, but it was for an issue with a neighbor, Manndel said.

Asked about a possible motive, “I don’t know if we’ll ever know,” Manndel said. “The people who have the answers are not with us, unfortunately."

Hastily written suicide notes were found in the home, but they were about things like taking care of the couple’s pet and did not give any insight into what happened or why, police said. Central Berks police Chief Ray Serafin said it appears the notes were written after Joy Strunk was killed.

Serafin said Stefan Strunk may have had a plan in place to try and kill his wife, “and the plan didn’t come to fruition the way he thought.”

It appears Joy Strunk may have been killed hours earlier, Serafin said.

When the fire chief arrived, it appeared Stefan Strunk might have been waiting, trying to decide what to do next, the police chief said.

The fire chief arriving as quickly as he did “could very easily (have) had another catastrophe there,” Serafin said.

UPDATE: Police say a married couple died in an apparent murder-suicide outside the burning home. ----- The Berks County coroner's office was called to a fire in Oley Township Tuesday morning. Posted by 6abc Action News on Tuesday, July 9, 2019

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