By Bill Vidonic

Published: Saturday, January 26, 2013, 3:46 p.m.
Updated: Monday, January 28, 2013

A Butler County man shot his girlfriend to death while she was moving out before killing himself, state police said on Saturday.

Dean V. Clawson, 49, shot Sonja Kummer, 45, outside their Brown Road, Center, home about 1:40 a.m. Saturday, Trooper Gesuele Burello said.

Neighbors heard a commotion at the house and called state police, Burello said. When police arrived, they found Kummer on the ground dead of three shotgun wounds. Police said when they went into the home, they found Clawson dead of a self-inflicted wound from a shotgun. Their deaths were ruled a murder-suicide by the Butler County Coroner's Office.

The pair apparently argued before the shootings, Burello said, and it appeared that Kummer was taking some belongings to her car before leaving the home. Police did not know what prompted the argument, Burello said. There was no one else at the home at the time of the shootings.

State police were at the home in December for a report of an argument there, Burello said. Police said they believe the pair had been together for about six months.

Bill Vidonic is a staff writerfor Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-380-5621or bvidonic@tribweb.com.

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