Nevada County sheriff officials say an elderly couple found dead Thursday evening was shot in what appeared to be a murder-suicide.

The 94-year-old Howard Wiemeyer was found dead apparently from a gun shot. His wife — 90-year-old Ruth Wiemeyer — had also been shot and died shortly after she was taken to the hospital.

Nevada County Sheriff Sergeant Jeff Powell says it appears that Howard Wiemeyer shot his wife in the back with a .22-caliber rifle before using the weapon to take his own life.

Officials say the couple was found by a family member who had dropped by to check on them. Neighbor Larry Meyers says Howard Wiemeyer was taking care of his wife because she had some kind of dementia. Powell says the deaths were still under investigation.