Farmer and three workers found dead in North Dakota field in suspected murder-suicide
Authorities say a .357 revolver was found at scene in Towner County wheat field
Support truly
independent journalism
Our mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.
Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.
Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.
![Louise Thomas](https://static.independent.co.uk/static-assets/support-us/louise-thomas.png)
Louise Thomas
Editor
A farmer was found dead in a North Dakota field alongside three other bodies in what officials are calling a murder-suicide.
Authorities say that a .357 revolver was found at the scene of the shooting in a wheat field in Towner County, which is located 200 miles northeast of Bismark.
The victims have been named as Douglas Dulmage, 56; Justin Bracken, 34; Richard Bracken, 64; and Robert Bracken, 59.
Dulmage was killed while combining wheat, and the three men had been hired to work on the farm alongside him, according to KVLY.
The bodies were discovered on Monday evening when a relative of one of the farmhands reportedly went looking for him.
![The scene of the shooting in Towner County is shown above](https://static.independent.co.uk/2022/09/01/17/Farmer2.jpg)
Sheriff Andrew Hillier refused to identify a motive in the case but said it appeared to be a murder-suicide.
A friend of Dulmage, who farmed wheat, corn, and soybeans with his 95-year-old father at the property, described his killing as a “devastating loss” to the rural community.
“He was a pillar of the community,” Pat Traynor told KVLY.
“Everybody loved Doug Dulmage. He just had a tremendous, tremendous heart. He also had a quick wit. He was fun.
“If we could all be a bit more like Doug, the world would be a much better place.”
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.