Police in Davidson, North Carolina, initially classified the death as a suicide. But soon, they began to notice inconsistencies surrounding her death. Among the most troubling: the gun was found in her left hand, and Long was right-handed. The medical examiner couldn't definitively determine whether Long died of the gunshot wound, and he found no blood on the hand Long would have fired with.
Nearly four months later, authorities are still investigating whether there was foul play in the death of the 41-year-old woman.
"This is an ongoing death investigation and it is considered 'suspicious,' " Cristina Shaul, a spokeswoman for the town of Davidson, tells PEOPLE.
Although Long was married at the time of her death, she was having an affair with a married man. Just days after Long's body was found, her lover, William Becker, came forward and produced documents showing that she had left her $1 million fortune to him.
According to a search warrant obtained by PEOPLE, neighbors saw Becker at Long's home on July 19, the last time she was seen alive. One neighbor reported hearing a loud bang.
The warrant, written by Davidson police Sgt. Stephen Ingram, says Becker told authorities that Long had been diagnosed with cervical cancer and became depressed. Authorities, however, interviewed Long's doctor, who said she only had abnormal cells on her cervix – a diagnosis she had dealt with before and could cure with a minor outpatient procedure.
Police also interviewed Long's estranged husband, Christopher Reeves, who said he talked with her on the day of her death and she seemed "fine."
In separate documents obtained by The Charlotte Observer , police say Becker's wife told them that he had given her a smoothie that tasted funny.
"She asked if it contained medicine," Ingram wrote. She said Becker took the drink from her and flushed it down the toilet. According to the documents, Becker later told his wife that he had added a sleep aid to the drink to help her rest.
On Nov. 3, police seized Long's computer, router and Yahoo Mail account in hopes of recreating the last days of her life.
Investigators are awaiting forensic results that will tell them if Long was drugged and whether gunpowder residue was found on her hands. A police spokeswoman told CBS's 48 Hours that authorities have identified a person of interest, but they could not divulge any additional details.
• With reporting by ELAINE ARADILLAS
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