A married couple who went missing early this week during a hike near their New Hampshire home were found dead with multiple gunshot wounds near a trail.
Stephen Reid, 67, and his wife, Djeswende (Wendy) Reid, 66, left their home in Concord Monday afternoon for a hike together and were reported missing by a family member Wednesday after they failed to return.
Their bodies were discovered Thursday evening in a “wooded area in close proximity” to a hiking trail, according to a statement from the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office.
The cause of death was homicide. Both Reids suffered “multiple gunshot wounds,” said the statement. Police have no suspect or a motive in the killings.
“This is a tragedy, and it’s something that came out of nowhere,” Concord Police Chief Bradley Osgood said at a press conference after the couple’s bodies were discovered. “We’re doing our due diligence, investing all of our resources, working with our state and local partners, to bring this case to a successful resolution.”
The couple did not own weapons and had no known history of violence, according to police. They regularly walked on the trails in the area of their apartment where they were found dead, authorities said.
The Concord Police Department is asking for anyone in the public with information or who may have spotted the couple to contact them.
“Anyone who saw the Reids that Monday afternoon, anyone walking on those trails, anyone who has any information related to their disappearance or deaths are asked to contact the Concord Police Department,” Senior Assistant Attorney General Geoffrey Ward said at a press conference Friday.
Authorities also urged area residents “to be vigilant.” Any suspicious behavior or activity encountered “should be reported to the Concord Police Department,” said the attorney general’s statement.
“We have no specific information that would lead us to believe that the public in general is at any risk,” Ward said. “That being said, be vigilant. Take your normal daily precautions. The Concord police will continue to be vigilant with patrols.”
Homicides in Concord are highly unusual. There was only one homicide reported in Concord in 2020 — and a total of eight killings from 2016 to 2020, according to statistics from the Concord Police Department.