A RIVERSIDE man shot himself dead shortly after killing his wife, police have determined.
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The bodies of John and Jill Evans, both aged 62, were found by police on Monday at their Orana Place home.
Mr Evans had called triple-0 informing police he'd killed his wife.
He then shot himself with an unregistered firearm, police said.
Mr Evans left a note but detectives said it was very disjointed and not a suicide note.
``We have no motive at this point in time,'' Launceston CIB Detective Senior Sergeant Johnathan Higgins said.
Investigators had determined it was a murder-suicide based on the pathologist's interim results, the emergency phone call made by Mr Evans and evidence at the scene, he said.
Detective Higgins said it was not conclusive how Mrs Evans had died but she suffered blunt force trauma at the hands of her husband.
It will now be up to the coroner to make formal findings.
Despite no clear motive police and family have pointed to the couple's ongoing suffering from the death of their 16-year-old daughter in 1989.
Tina Simone Evans died in a car crash in Launceston while travelling as a passenger.
Mrs Evans's cousin Kerry Jordan said it an was incredibly gruelling time for the couple and Mr Evans never recovered.
At the time Mr Jordan visited them daily worried that the couple might self harm, such was the extent of their grief.
He described his cousin as bright and bubbly and Mr Evans a ``brilliant worker'' who was much more reserved.
``I found him to be a good guy who I got on with,'' Mr Jordan said.
``I don't know what pushed him over the edge . . . I don't know who would have been close enough to find out.
``If John had a problem he wouldn't tell you, he wasn't open like that, Jill couldn't be more different.''
Mr Jordan said his cousin had been a popular staff member at the Launceston General Hospital.
Both were heavily involved in the North Launceston Football Club, which had named a player's award in honour of their daughter.
Mr Jordan believed Mr Evans suffered depression stemming from his daughter's death.
When she died the family kept an open casket at their home for three days.
``Jill seemed to accept it and get over it, it wasn't like that with John, Tina was John's life,'' he said.
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