'Happy' couple found dead in bizarre murder suicide after he killed his girlfriend, stuffed her body in an odor-proof trash can and shot himself days later

PUBLISHED: 16:44 EST, 6 November 2013 | UPDATED: 16:44 EST, 6 November 2013

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The bodies of a couple who were found in a Tennessee home on Monday were involved in a 'bizarre, elaborate murder suicide', police said today.

Gruesome details are emerging in the deaths of Jesse Meece and his girlfriend Beth Straub, both 45, who were found at their Nashville home after police were asked to make a welfare check on Meece by his mother.

Police believe Meece killed his girlfriend last week and hid her body in an odor-proof trash can before shooting himself days later.

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Crime scene: Gruesome details are emerging in the deaths of Jesse Meece and his girlfriend Beth Straub, both 45, who were found on Monday afternoon at their Nashville home

Cover up: As part of the investigation, police found a receipt dated October 27 for foam sealant and 100 pounds of livestock stall deodorizer, seen being carried away from the home

Authorities had been called to the couple's home on October 29 after Beth Straub had not reported to work for several days, The Tennessean reports.

At that time, officers spoke with Meece, who said his girlfriend had left the home after an argument.

He allowed the officers into the home to search and they did not find anything suspicious.

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But when they searched the home on Monday, they found a recently-constructed wall in the basement, behind which was a 96-gallon trash can with a woman's body inside.

Metro police spokesman Don Aaron said that when authorities initially went to the home to check on Straub, officers likely did not look for signs of foul play given Meece’s explanation that she had left.

'When you’re doing a welfare check or something like that, you’re not going to be breaking down walls,' he said in a press conference.

Though she has yet to be positively identified, police are presuming it is Straub.

Police spokesman: Don Aaron said that when authorities initially went to the home to check on Straub, officers likely did not look for signs of foul play given Meece's explanation she had left after an argument

A PVC pipe was attached directly to the sewage system and the trash can's lid had been sealed with plexiglass and foam sealant, WSMV reports.

Police believe Straub was killed sometime between October 27 and October 29. Meece then modified the trash can to ensure the smell of a decomposing body would not be detected.

They also found a receipt for the sealant and 100 pounds of livestock stall deodorizer.

Neighbors said they were stunned to hear about the murder suicide as the couple seemed perfectly happy. They had lived there for around a year-and-a-half.

Police records show no prior arrests for the couple or domestic violence calls to their home since they moved in.

An autopsy will be performed on Straub to find out the cause of death.

WSMV Channel 4

Comments (3)

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Dan MDK Woking, Woking, United Kingdom, 37 minutes ago

Odour proof trash can, that would be handy in the UK, with fortnightly bin collections, in our third world Country.

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someonesomewhere, London, 51 minutes ago

why? just why?

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Alexandra Rue, Chicago, United States, 1 hour ago

He obviously intended to murder her since he bought all of those supplies to cover it up....... unless she bought everything to murder him...... in any event it looks like he murdered and concealed his girl friend, but I wonder if he originally intended to kill himself. I wonder if he realized he couldn't live with himself and then killed himself a few days later. That would account for the gap between the murder and the suicide.