John Jefferson
Background: News footage of the Fuquay-Varina, N.C. home where George and Cathleen Lesniak were found dead in an apparent murder-suicide (WRAL). Inset: George and Cathleen Lesniak (Facebook).
A North Carolina couple married for 34 years was found dead inside their home in an apparent murder-suicide, minutes after the husband posted a chilling confession on Facebook.
In a news release posted to their Facebook page, the Fuquay-Varina Police Department stated that they responded to a call of shots fired at the home of George Lesniak, 63, and Cathleen Lesniak, 59, at 6:03 p.m. on Jan. 18. When officers arrived at the scene, they found both the husband and wife dead from gunshot wounds. Police described George Lesniak’s injuries as “self-inflicted.”
Adding to the apparent murder-suicide committed at the hands of George Lesniak was a message he posted to a Facebook group at 6 p.m., three minutes before reports of a shooting. The now-deleted post read, “My wife admitted to cheating on me so I killed her, I’m about to kill myself.” He added, apparently in a message to the rest of the group, “Figure this group out for [yourselves].”
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The Facebook group where George Lesniak posted was dedicated to technicians who performed calibrations for Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). Lesniak was the group’s administrator. The group has made itself private.
While Cathleen Lesniak’s Facebook page was made private, her husband’s showed an update from December — a photo of the couple passionately kissing on a dance floor. The couple had worked in different fields of the automotive industry, the New York Post reported. George Lesniak was the vice president of training at Autel Automotive Intelligence until September 2024, according to his LinkedIn page. Cathleen Lesniak was a technical production manager at Advanced Auto Parts.
Police called the case “deeply tragic” and “complex,” and they stated that while there were no ongoing threats to the community, a thorough investigation was going to be conducted into the couple’s deaths. They have not formally ruled the deaths a murder-suicide.
If you or someone you know is experiencing emotional distress or considering self-harm, help is available immediately at the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988.
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