Authorities mum on apparent murder-suicide

Charles Louis McCreight was a retired telephone executive who worked for the investment firm Morgan Stanley on Kingsbury Grade and had a financial interest in the San Diego Flash professional soccer team.

On Thursday, he and his wife were found dead from gunshot wounds in what authorities say was a murder-suicide.

Pete Van Arnum, El Dorado County sheriff's detective coroner, conducted the autopsies on his day off Friday. He deflected questions about the number of bullets and what the couple was wearing, and said the motive is being investigated.

"We really don't have much as far as that goes," he said. "I talked to one of their children, and he doesn't really have an idea at this moment."

Van Arnum would not reconfirm that McCreight, 58, shot his wife, Marjory Frances McCreight, a statement he made late Thursday. He said that issue is being investigated.

Co-workers requested sheriff's deputies conduct a welfare check of McCreight after he failed to report to work last week.

Morgan Stanley officials at Kingsbury Grade would not comment. They deferred the "personnel matter" to the firm's New York headquarters.

Chuck Cibulka, who works at the International Sports Media sports marketing firm, confirmed McCreight was an investor in San Diego Flash.

Cibulka met McCreight in 1999 at a Flash game. Cibulka described McCreight as a well-respected professional who was articulate, easygoing and reserved.

McCreight was quoted in a San Diego newspaper in 1999 about his desire to move the soccer team to an indoor league. The move didn't come to fruition.

Cibulka said he never met McCreight's wife. Neighbors believed she was mentally ill.

The McCreights lived in an expensive and clean vacation house at 2209 Toiyabe Trail in the Montgomery Estates, near Sierra House Elementary School.

Charles McCreight was last seen on Jan. 5.

The couple had been dead for several days before authorities discovered them around noon Thursday.

Neighbors thought something was unusual when McCreight didn't come out to shovel snow.

E-mail William Ferchland at wferchland@tahoedailytribune.com.