A Forsyth County woman with special needs was allegedly killed by her father in a murder-suicide, according to a news release from the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office.

According to the release, Megan Frix, 26, and her father, Jerry Frix, 58, were found dead at the family’s home on Evans Drive by a visiting home health aide on Sunday, Jan. 8. The incident is being investigated as a murder-suicide.

“At this time, our Major Crimes Unit Detectives have determined this to be an apparent murder/suicide with the likely actor being the father,” Forsyth County Sheriff Ron Freeman said in a statement. “The loss of life is especially tragic as the adult daughter had special needs and had lost her mother just a few years before. There can be no justification for the loss of life, and we need to insure that people know that they can reach out for help by calling 988 and be instantly connected to a crisis counselor. “

In the release, FCSO officials said they “are awaiting results from the State Medical Examiners Office, as well as additional interviews before a final ruling is made as to the cause of death and reasons behind this incident.”

Lisa Bennett, manager of the Forsyth County campus of Creative Enterprises, a center for adults with special needs, said Megan Frix was a former client that had left the program due to personal issues and had been cared for by her mother until her mother’s death a few years ago.

She said officials with Creative Enterprises did maintain contact with the father “for a long time after” Megan Frix had left the center but had not been in contact for some time at the time of the incident.

Officials with Creative Enterprises have set up a GoFundMe page at www.gofundme.com/f/funeral-expenses-for-megan-frix to pay for Megan Frix’s funeral costs because “we felt like she deserved to have a funeral,” Bennett said.

“Megan's life was tragically cut short on January 8th, and we would like to give her the funeral she deserves,” organizers wrote on the page. “Megan was on the Autism spectrum and due to her needs, her father was unable to work. This family struggled financially but Megan was a bundle of joy to all who knew her. We are saddened by this loss and hope to honor her legacy in this way.”

As of press time, more than $6,000 of the $8,000 goal had been collected.

Bennett said the death was the second time in recent years a client had been killed by a caregiver and said the incidents highlighted a need for more residences for clients with special needs in the county.

“What we’re trying to do is… to get the word out that we’ve got to have more in Forsyth County for these families like group homes, residential host homes because parents get very hopeless and there’s no pulling them out of it,” Bennett said. “They see no other option.”

Another benefit of a residential facility, Bennett said, is that there would be employed caretakers rather than family members, who often do not get breaks.

“For cases like Megan, her needs were so great, it’s unrealistic to think that one caregiver can provide what they need,” she said, “and I think that’s another reason why a group home or something is so important because there would be trained staff.”

Bennett applauded the efforts of Keystone Village, a proposed development to provide housing for those with special needs in the community but said that housing was a challenge as most clients receive limited social security payments and can’t use the Medicaid waivers used by clients at Creative Enterprises for housing.

“There’s a lot of things that are barriers to doing what’s right by these people and their families,” Bennett said, “but it all boils down to money.”