Tragic Murder of Emeri Connery

AthensNews: Fitness Model Emeri Connery died while in a pickup truck with her police officer cousin near the southwest Virginia town where he worked earlier this month, and authorities are alleging that she was shot and killed by that man in an apparent murder-suicide.

Emeri A. Connery, 26, was a 2011 graduate of Eastern High School in Reedsville, Meigs County, who built up a significant following on social media as a fitness model, and most recently lived in Columbus. Connery grew up in Coolville and lived there through high school, her triplet brother Kyle Connery said in a brief interview Friday.

“Emeri was my triplet sister,” he wrote in a Facebook post memorializing Emeri and her cousin. “She was the most amazing, beautiful, badass, and inspiring woman I’ll ever know. Klint and I love you and can’t wait to see you again. You’ll forever be a part of us.”

Connery’s cousin, Bailey S. Smith, 21, of Duffield, Virginia, allegedly shot and killed himself while in the pickup truck with Connery. Smith served as a police officer for Big Stone Gap, Virginia. That community is located near the Tennessee border roughly three miles from where law enforcement authorities found the car (on U.S. Rt. 23 in Lee County, Virginia).

The Virginia State Police are investigating the Sunday, March 10, incident leading to Connery’s death as a “murder-suicide,” according to a release issued by that agency last week, after police found a 2015 GMC pickup truck that had run off the left side of the highway into the median.

“Investigators have confirmed that the shootings occurred within the vehicle and, at this stage, are investigating the incident as a murder-suicide,” the release reads. “A firearm was recovered from inside the vehicle. There is no evidence to indicate another vehicle or individual was involved in the shootings.” Read more

Emeri Connery, middle, is seen posing at the gym in this picture with her triplet brothers Kyler Connery, left, and Klint Connery, right. Photo provided by Kyle Connery. Kyle said this was the last photo he took with her.