Dakota County couple found dead in farm field after apparent murder-suicide

EMPIRE, Minn. (FOX 9) - Authorities say the deaths of a husband and wife, whose bodies were found in a Dakota County farm field over the weekend, appear to be a murder-suicide.

What do we know?

The bodies of 65-year-old Smith Coop Brown and his wife, 27-year-old Payao Vang, were found by a family member in the evening hours of Sunday, August 25 in a field near 210th Street East and Clayton Avenue in Empire, Minn.

Deputies say Brown's son became concerned about the couple after they hadn't returned to their home in Oakdale after going to a leased farm plot in Dakota County earlier that day.

The son and another family member drove to the plot to check on the couple when they discovered the bodies.

What happened?

Deputies say it appears Brown shot Vang before turning the gun on himself. Two guns were found at the scene: one in Brown's hand and another in his jacket.

The investigation into the shooting is ongoing.