murder-suicide in big sur??

CNN.com - Women's deaths investigated as murder-suicide

this is a very bizaare case. the details are a bit sketchy, but both women were found with plastic bags duct taped around their heads and their hands bound behind their backs.

now I'm no expert in criminal investigations, but I find it hard to imagine how one of the ladies could have done that to herself -- how can one duct tape a bag on one's head and tie one's own hands???

the strange fact is the halloween masks...one was found on one body, the other was nearby, and there was a third on the front door of their long beach apartment...

it sure looks to me like someone else is involved...

but then there is the 'suicide pact' note...

this is nothing new. I don't find it all that unusual for a murderer to force the victims to write a note before killing them. this usually has the effect of throwing the cops off one's trail, right?

further, if there really was a suicide pact, why spend $220/night on a cabin? why not $36/night at motel 6?

it sounds to me like a vacation gone bad.

but then again, perhaps it was a suicide pact. how would a murderer (unless the victims knew him/her) know where they lived so as to put another halloween mask there?