POCATELLO — A local husband and wife are dead as the result of a Friday night murder-suicide in south Pocatello but their child who police originally believed to be missing and possibly endangered has been found safe and unharmed, authorities said.
Police identified the deceased as Stephen Ryan Stoker, 36, and his wife, Melissa Stoker, 40, both of Pocatello. Police said that Stephen fatally shot Melissa and “then killed himself with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.”
The murder-suicide happened in a vehicle parked at the couple's home on the 2000 block of Bannock Highway between Walkabout Road and South Grant Avenue, police said.
Police issued a statewide Amber Alert early Saturday morning for a 12-year-old boy, the son of Melissa and stepson of Stephen, when he could not be located at the scene. The Amber Alert stated that the boy was missing and possibly endangered.
But soon after the Amber Alert was issued Pocatello police found the boy safe and unharmed at a friend’s home in south Pocatello. The boy fortunately had not been present when the murder-suicide occurred, police said.
Pocatello police said they were initially called by the couple's neighbors regarding the incident just before 8 p.m. Friday. The neighbors reported hearing the couple arguing followed by the sound of gunshots, police said.
Responding Pocatello police officers found Stephen and Melissa dead in the vehicle.
The incident resulted in Bannock Highway being shut down for several hours as police investigated what happened.
Pocatello police said in a Saturday morning press release, “This appears to be an isolated incident and there is no threat to the public.”