Elyria woman dead in Akron murder-suicide on Monday

The Akron Police Department and Summit County Medical Examiner's Office are investigating a suspected case of murder-suicide from Monday in which an Akron man is suspected of shooting and killing an Elyria woman in an Akron residence. In a news release, the Summit County Medical Examiner's Office reported that Elliot Altesa, 26, of Akron, shot and killed Jessica Violand, 44, of Elyria sometime Monday in a house on South Highland Avenue in Akron's Highland Square neighborhood Altesa then killed himself. The Medical Examiner's Office said both he and Violand died of gunshot wounds to their heads, and ruled her death a homicide and his death a suicide. Authorities did not say if, or how, the two knew each other. An Akron police spokesman could not be reached for comment Tuesday. Media reports said Akron police officers went to the house at 7:30 p.m. Monday for a welfare check, and found Altesa and Violand dead in a bedroom. Both were pronounced dead just after 9 p.m., authorities said. Autopsies on both were performed Tuesday and their next of kin notified, the Medical Examiner's Office said. Anyone with information is asked to call the Akron Police Department Detective Bureau at (330) 375-2490 or 330-375-2Tip. Anonymous tips can be made to Summit County Crimestoppers at (330) 434-COPS.