A west Jefferson County landlord has died after authorities say he killed his tenant and then turned the gun on himself.
The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office identified the man as Paul Edwin Vance. He was 80 and lived in Alliance.
The ordeal began just after 5 p.m. Thursday when Jefferson County sheriff’s deputies were dispatched at to a house in the 1700 block of Alliance Road.
Sgt. Joni Money said they found an adult male – now identified as 57-year-old Raymond Earl Hamilton – dead on the scene.
Just after 6 p.m., she said, investigators learned the suspect – Vance – may be at a nearby residence. When deputies arrived, Vance was on the front porch and shot himself as deputies were about to approach him
He was airlifted to UAB Hospital with critical injuries.
According to the coroner’s office, Vance died at the hospital at 12:14 p.m. Friday.
Authorities said Vance was Hamilton’s landlord. Sgt. Joni Money said. A motive has not yet been disclosed except to say it was a rental dispute.
