The suspect in the homicide of a Utica woman and the wounding of her mother killed himself early this morning in a wooded area near downtown Fayette, authorities said.

Officers from several agencies had spent Monday searching for Gregory Smith, 31.

He is believed to have shot his girlfriend, Tammy Davis, 33, at her mother’s home in Utica late Sunday or early Monday. The mother, Robert Young, 74, was found with head injuries at her home at 15144 Mississippi 27. She was at University Medical Center in Jackson this morning in fair condition, a hospital spokesman said.

At about 1 a.m. today, Smith, accompanied by family members, was on his way to turn himself in at the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department when he stopped the vehicle near Main Street and Mississippi 33.

“He had a weapon to his head, saying, ‘I can’t do this,'” Jefferson County Deputy Bridget Jackson said.

Smith, whose residence had not been determined, forced the family members out of the car and drove to nearby Hollywood Baptist Church, 77 Hollywood Road, where he abandoned the car and ran into the woods.

Police searched for him for about 45 minutes before he was spotted by a Mississippi state trooper. As soon as the trooper turned his spotlight on Smith, he shot himself, Jackson said.

Smith was pronounced dead at 2 a.m., Jackson said.

Warren County deputies are also investigating whether Smith was involved in a January 2004 carjacking. A green Nissan Maxima, that Smith was reported to be driving was stolen from Vicksburg Ford during a test-drive, Sheriff Martin Pace said.

Smith was Davis’ long-time boyfriend. They had two children, but did not live together, authorities said. They did not have a history of domestic violence. Davis’ sister, Sheila Burns, discovered her body and her wounded mother at about 5:20 a.m. Monday.

Smith had been a painter at Simpson Dura-Vent in Warren County since 2000, plant manager Jeff Cowan said. He was a good employee, Cowan said.

“As far as I know, there’s never been a problem,” Cowan said. “It came as a shock to all of us,” he added.