Mill Creek man in wreck shot himself, autopsy shows

MILL CREEK — The man whose pregnant wife was found slain in their Mill Creek apartment apparently shot himself in the head before his car crashed into a semi-tractor trailer early Monday morning, officials said.

The Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the death of Sean C. McIntyre a suicide. He was 29.

McIntyre’s cause of death was listed as the combined factors of a gunshot wound to the head and the blunt force injuries from the collision.

Sandra K. McIntyre, 26, was found dead in the couple’s apartment in the 14700 block of Main Street. Police went there to check on a reported domestic dispute.

She died of a gunshot wound to the head, the medical examiner’s office reported Tuesday. The case is being investigated as a homicide.

Someone from the apartment complex called 911 around 12:20 a.m. Monday to report hearing yelling and what sounded like items being thrown around inside the couple’s apartment.

Witnesses told Mill Creek police the couple spent part of Sunday with friends. They watched a football game, went to dinner and drank alcohol.

That evening, her husband began to act strangely and armed himself with a loaded shotgun. The woman called friends to ask them to come back to the apartment. They helped to temporarily calm the situation.

Police believe Sean McIntyre shot his wife after one of their friends went to buy cigarettes.

A shotgun was recovered inside the apartment, but it was not known if it was used in the assault, police said Monday.

Sean McIntyre’s body was found inside his sedan, which struck a parked semi-tractor trailer in the 18500 block of 35th Avenue SE outside of city limits. The crash investigation is being handled by the Collision Investigation Unit of the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office.

“They will continue to investigate the collision to determine that there were no other factors involved,” sheriff’s office spokeswoman Shari Ireton said.

Police were not involved in a pursuit when the crash occurred, officials said.

Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446; stevick@heraldnet.com.

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