Ruby Taverner, suspect in murder of boyfriend, brother in Oakland County found dead in woods

INDEPENDENCE TWP, Mich. (FOX 2) - Ruby Taverner, the 22-year-old woman wanted for killing her boyfriend and brother in an Independence Township apartment over the weekend, has been found dead, according to the Oakland County Sheriff.

Sheriff Michael Bouchard said Taverner was found dead with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound in the woods in Oakland County. Authorities had been searching for her for the past 24 hours after the double shooting inside an Independence Township apartment.

RELATED: Double homicide suspect in Oakland County shot brother, boyfriend, sheriff says

Bouchard said detectives were searching the wooded area near the apartment complex and found Taverner's body.

"It's a terrible situation. It always seems to be magnified when you get someone who commits something horrible like that - a homicide - and then kills themselves. You almost wonder ‘what was the point’ to this whole thing? You never get any answers that satisfy those questions because, now, all parties are deceased," Bouchard said.

The bodies of her boyfriend Ray Muscat, 26, and her brother Bishop Taverner, 22, of Oxford, were discovered after a resident called 911 to report she heard gun shots.

Officers who arrived at the complex, located at 5901 Dixie Highway, found Bishop's body in the living room with a single gunshot wound. Muscat's body was found in the rear bedroom. The sheriff had been searching for Taverner and believed she was armed and dangerous. They had also said she may have died her hair purple, indicating they believed she was going to try to go on the run after the double murder.

Bouchard said they believe Taverner had some mental health issues and deputies had been called the apartment complex in the past.

The family of Taverner said Ruby was born a male and was one of three triplets, which included Bishop. 

Ruby Taverner formerly went by Martin Taverner. Ray Muscat formerly went by Amber Muscat.

"Everybody who knew her knew she was the sweetest thing… so kind to people," said Alyssa and Cory Muscat, sisters to Ray.