A Texas lawyer and her estranged husband were found dead on a property they own near Canyon Lake in an apparent murder-suicide incident, investigators claim.

The police found the bodies of Arden Anne Specia-Spencer, 52, and her estranged husband Mark Spencer, 53, late evening on Dec. 12 outside their lake home on Purgatory Road in northern Comal County.

According to Mary Specia, 79, her daughter's estranged husband had pulled out a gun and shot her right in the head before pointing the gun at himself and firing. Specia had witnessed the whole incident and had called 911.

Pending autopsy report, Comal County authorities have refused to cite the cause of death. However, preliminary investigation suggests a murder-suicide and the police have ruled out suspects.

At the time of the incident, the couple was in the midst of a messy divorce proceeding.

Spencer was Specia-Spencer's second husband. The couple had married in 1997 and have two children - boys aged 9 and 10.

According to police reports and court documents, Specia-Spencer had filed for divorce on January 22 after reporting domestic violence against her husband.

Two days after the divorce petition was filed, Specia-Spencer had amended the petition and had requested a temporary restraining order on Spencer, charging him with assault and bodily injury.

In the months that followed, the couple had spent most of their time wrangling over the property, expenses and custody of their children.

In September, Spencer was acquitted of the charge by a jury.

According to Lt. Mark Reynolds of the Comal County Sheriff's Office, Specia-Spencer was staying with the boys for the weekend in the couple's lake home when Spencer suddenly appeared and shot her.

The incident has shocked everyone because nobody expected Spencer to take the extreme step.

Specia-Spencer's first husband, John Moran, 66, said he hadn't spoken to his ex-wife for several years ever since they divorced in 1992 and was surprised when Spencer called him four months ago to ask about Specia-Spencer.

He (Spencer) seemed distraught over the failing marriage, Moran, 66, said. He was probing me to get some insight as to her personality or character or something, but I didn't really want to talk to him.

It is unclear whether the couple's children had witnessed the murder-suicide. They are currently staying with their relatives, Specia said.

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