FAIRMOUNT - A man and a woman found dead in a house near here Thursday were killed in an apparent murder-suicide, Richland County authorities said.

Sheriff Larry Leshovsky identified the dead as Bernice Krause, 50, of Fairmount, and Kevin Karst, 46, of Sisseton, S.D. He said the two were found about 7:15 a.m. in Krause's home, by a family member.

"It appears to be a homicide-suicide," Leshovsky said. "They both died of gunshot wounds."

Leshovsky said it appeared Karst shot Krause, then turned the gun on himself.

A gun was found at the scene, the sheriff said.

Leshovsky said Krause and Karst had been involved in a relationship for about 18 years. He said he served a restraining order on Karst in early March and had confiscated about a dozen guns from him.

Lynn Nelson, manager of a service station in the town of about 400, said the couple had lived together for several years.

"It just shocked the whole community," Nelson said.

Karst, who had been living with Krause at her home, moved to South Dakota last month, Leshovsky said.

Authorities had been called to the home several times over the years, Leshovsky said.

"They've had some domestic violence history in the past that we've responded to," Leshovsky said.

Leshovsky said it appeared Krause and Karst had been dead for about two days in the home, about four miles south of Fairmount.

"Based on the preliminary investigation, it probably happened sometime Tuesday," Leshovsky said.

The sheriff said the bodies would be taken to Bismarck for an autopsy.