The recent deaths of a husband and wife are currently being investigated as a murder-suicide.

According to sources, sheriff’s deputies arrived at 134 Ledford Lane the evening of March 12 and found Debra Eby, 58, fatally shot to death.

Her husband, Stephen Eby, 54, had shot himself, sources said, but was still alive when deputies arrived.

The incident reportedly happened between 9 and 10 p.m.

E-911 dispatch had received a call from Stephen Eby saying his wife had been shot.

When emergency personnel arrived at the scene, they found Stephen Eby also shot but still alive.

He was then taken to UT Medical Center and placed on life support but died in the early morning hours of March 15, according to sources.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and Overton County Sheriff’s Department are investigating the incident.

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What you post about other people on the website Topix may not be so anonymous after all, is what an Overton County resident recently discovered.

Law enforcement authorities searched a Monroe home on March 6 with a warrant after a two-week investigation was carried out because of a Topix forum post that was traced back to the residence.

“I guess I am in a lot of trouble now,” is what the resident said to authorities when they came to search, stated a recent press release through the 15th Judicial District Drug and Violent Crime Task Force. The task force covers Jackson, Macon, Smith, Trousdale and Wilson counties.

According to the release, the post said the following:

“We need to get all the people that don’t have popular names together and systematically take out all those Staffords, Mayberrys and Gentrys…But we can spare the judge though, ‘cause she’s kind of hot. If we all work together and keep it a secret, we can make it looks like the deaths were all accidents. I know that most of the popular are dumber than hell, ‘cause let’s face it, if you have that name…You don’t need an education to make it in this town. Who’s with me?”

The post concerned Assistant District Attorney Edwin Sadler, who then contacted the Drug and Violent Crime Task Force.

Authorities seized several computers, all weapons and other items during the search.

The task force made the following statement in its release:

“For some reason people think that they can create a fictitious name and residence and post something on Topix and law enforcement does not know who they are. Topix is regularly monitored by specialized law enforcement groups, and we know who is making the postings, and at times these postings result in criminal charges and other times they are witnesses to crimes and interviewed by law enforcement. We have interviewed people who made postings months in the past and in some investigations even years later people will be interviewed. This is a situation where someone, like most people who post, thought they could hide behind a computer, scare people and say lies about them and no one would ever know, and it would be funny.”

Charges will be filed against the Monroe resident and brought before the Overton and Jackson County grand juries at a later date.

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A majority vote from Overton County School Board members has determined that Matt Eldridge will not be returning as director after the school year’s end.

Board members voted on a motion to renew the director of schools’ contract for two years before a crowd during a meeting held Thursday, March 12.

Eldridge, who has held the position since 2009, addressed the board on its decision.

The motion, made by Ray Smith and seconded by Dolphus Dial, failed 7-3.

But local resident Danny Smith did not agree with the decision, and spoke to the board in support of Eldridge, resulting in a round of applause from spectators around the room. He also touched on an alleged rumored “hit list” involving board members which was a topic of discussion at last month’s school board meeting.

“It’s my understanding that the school system right now is in better shape academically than it’s ever been,” he said. “That to me says the man, the director of schools, and the people that he has in those positions, is doing a good job. Why do you replace somebody that’s doing the job satisfactorily?”