LINCOLN, Neb. — Authorities have released new details following a devastating murder-suicide that unfolded Friday morning in Lincoln’s Near South neighborhood. Police confirmed that 51-year-old Sterling Jordan and 51-year-old Jennifer McCarther were found dead inside a home near South 14th and Sumner Streets, following what investigators have determined to be an act of domestic violence.
Lincoln Police Chief Michon Morrow said officers were called to the residence around 10:45 a.m. for a welfare check after someone expressed concern about the couple’s wellbeing. Upon entering the home, officers discovered both individuals deceased on the floor of a bedroom. Chief Morrow stated that McCarther suffered multiple gunshot wounds, while Jordan died from a single self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. “It is heartbreaking and at the same time infuriating to know that her life was stolen by a senseless act of violence,” Morrow said.
Police believe Jordan shot McCarther before turning the gun on himself. Chief Morrow emphasized the toll such tragedies take on families and the community, calling it a reminder of the devastating consequences of domestic violence. “The pain her family now has to carry is both unimaginable and absolutely unacceptable,” she said. Investigators noted that there was no ongoing threat to the public.
During Monday’s news conference, police shared a statement from McCarther’s daughter, who described her mother as “a beautiful soul, a mother of three, a daughter, a sister to seven, and a grandmother of five.” The statement continued, “She’ll never get the chance to see them grow up. Losing her has left a hole in our hearts that will never be filled, but her love and light continue to live on through all of us who were blessed to know her.”
McCarther’s daughter also expressed a powerful message about the dangers of abusive relationships. “Sometimes in the search for love, we end up in places that bring us more harm than healing, and too often it costs everything,” she said. “If her story can help even one woman find the strength to leave before it’s too late, then her memory will continue to protect and inspire others.”
Authorities confirmed that McCarther is the third woman in Lincoln to be killed this year in a murder-suicide. Police urged anyone experiencing domestic violence or who knows someone in danger to reach out to local resources or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) for confidential assistance.