The death of a Winton couple has been ruled a murder suicide by the Merced County Sheriff’s Department.

The bodies of 48-year-old Darryl McCarthy and his wife, Christi McCarthy, 44, were discovered Wednesday morning in the 7000 block of Anne Circle in Winton.

The discovery was made by the couple’s 15-year-old son, said sheriff spokesman Deputy Tom MacKenzie. A second son, a 13-year-old boy, also was at the home. The boys were not injured and were placed into the custody of Child Protective Services, MacKenzie said.

The cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head for both of the McCarthys, MacKenzie said.

According to the sheriff’s department, there were indications that Christi McCarthy had decided to leave her husband.