A stunned woman found a body of a fugitive in the trunk of her car after he hid there while fleeing cops and apparently shot himself dead.
The woman had even driven to the doctors unaware that the body of Ross Elliot, 51, was in her car after he broke into the vehicle in her garage.
His body was found in Lowell, Massachusetts, on Friday after a two-day manhunt, during which police officers and SWAT team members combed through the 110,000-strong town for any information about the suspect.
Elliott had been accused of shooting his ex-girlfriend, 44-year-old Nicole Gamache, in the head in the common room at her apartment, just feet away from her daughter and mother.
Ross Elliot, 51, (pictured left) from Lowell, Massachusett s was found dead on Friday after a two-day manhunt. He was accused of killing his ex-girlfriend Nicole Gamache (right)
During the manhunt, police officers and SWAT team members combed through the 110,000-strong town for any information about the suspect. They later found him dead in the trunk of a car (pictured)
'What we should not lose sight of is this is unfortunately another tragic example of loss of life in domestic violence situations,' District Attorney Marian Ryan said.
'Our thoughts and prayers are with the children in this family as we head into Mother's Day weekend, the life of a mother lost to domestic violence and ultimate ending with the death of Mr. Elliott.'
Investigators say Elliott broke into a car at a home earlier that day, WCVB [4]reported. The owner, oblivious to what was in her trunk, drove the car to her doctor's appointment. Upon her return, she saw her trunk open with a hand eerily hanging out.
After she dialled 911, three armed police officers arrived at the scene, which was in the parking lot of an office complex.
An off-duty officer and firefighter David Provencher saw Elliot hiding under his motorcycle cover on Thursday afternoon. The murder suspect threatened the police officer and fled
In the footage captured by witnesses who had an aerial view of the end of the manhunt, the police officers appear cautious as they slowly approached the vehicle in which the body was lodged.
Elliott appeared to have died from a self-inflicted gun injury, CBS Local reported. The vehicle was towed away from the scene, marking the strange end to this manhunt, which left the Lowell town under siege for nearly 48 hours.
But Elliott had a close shave with the police before he died.
An off-duty officer and firefighter David Provencher saw the suspect hiding under his motorcycle cover on Thursday aft ernoon, WBZ-TV reported. Elliot threatened the police officer and fled.
'He just kept saying I want to be left alone I want to go die,' the officer told the station.
'I pulled my phone out and he pointed a gun at me and said don't do that, don't do that.'
Elliot had a run-in with the law 13 years ago, when he was imprisoned for nine and a half years for kidnapping his then-girlfriend and slicing her throat.
