A North Carolina man fatally shot his wife and confessed to the crime in a chilling Facebook post before shooting himself dead, New York Post reports.
The case has garnered attention due to a now-deleted Facebook post in which George admitted to the killing. Writing in the ADAS Support group—a forum for technicians specialising in Advanced Driver Assistance Systems—he said, “My wife admitted to cheating on me so I killed her, I’m about to kill myself.” He also urged group members to determine the platform’s future without him.
According to the Fuquay-Varina police department, 63-year-old George Lesniak killed his wife, Cathleen Lesniak, 59, in their five-bedroom home just after 6 pm on January 18. He then died of a “self-inflicted fatal injury.”
The tragic events unfolded in the Lesniak residence in Fuquay-Varina, 18 miles southwest of Raleigh.
The post was reportedly published at 6 pm, just three minutes before police were called to the house on Highwater Place.
Police are treating the case as a murder-suicide, though the investigation is ongoing due to the “complex nature” of the incident. Officials reassured the public there was no ongoing threat and called for the community to keep the family in their thoughts.
George and Cathleen Lesniak had been married for over 34 years. Cathleen, a technical production manager, worked with Advance Auto Parts, while George, an Illinois native and graduate of Lincoln Technical Institute, had most recently served as the vice president of training at New York-based Autel Automotive Intelligence USA. He had worked remotely with the company for over five years before leaving in September 2024.
Autel Automotive expressed its sorrow over the tragedy, stating, “We are deeply saddened by the tragic events that occurred at the Lesniak residence on January 18. We at Autel express our heartfelt condolences to the Lesniak family and friends.”
“This incident is deeply tragic, and we urge the community to keep the family in their thoughts during this challenging time,” authorities said.
