Autopsies: Couple found dead in Avalon Park died in murder-suicide

Autopsies performed Saturday confirmed that a man and woman found dead inside an Avalon Park home the day before died as the result of a murder-suicide.

The Cook County medical examiner’s office identified the 50-year-old woman as Tomica Goodwin of Avalon Park. As of Saturday afternoon, the office had not positively identified the 49-year-old man found alongside Goodwin inside her home in the 8100 block of South Cornell Avenue around 2 p.m. Friday.

Goodwin suffered what appeared to be numerous stab wounds, while the man appeared dead by gunshot. Autopsies found that Goodwin died as a result of multiple sharp force injuries and a gunshot wound in her abdomen in a death ruled a homicide. The unidentified man’s death by gunshot to the head was ruled a suicide, according to the medical examiner’s office.

A police spokesperson on Saturday said detectives had not made an official determination on the deaths and were continuing with their death investigation. The relationship between Goodwin and the dead male was still unclear, authorities said.

Rebecca Johnson contributed to this report.