An STD rumor may be at the root of the recent murder-suicide deaths of three women and one man in North Carolina, according to relatives of one of the victims.

The bodies of 23-year-old Alexandria Pierce, 24-year-old Amesha Page-Smith, 22-year-old Adrianne Stevens and 23-year-old gunman Brinton Millsap were found Saturday (June 18) on the side of a Durham highway.

Authorities believe Millsap killed the women in the car before taking his own life.

Family members say that a nasty STD rumor may have sparked the deaths. According to Pierce’s mother, her daughter went to Durham along with her friends to talk to Millsap about a rumor that she had given him herpes. According to Pierce’s mother, one of Pierce’s friends had apparently started the false rumor.

Millsap’s brother says, Brinton was “outraged” when the rumors of him contracting an STD circulated. Millsap also has Lupus, which can give a false positive for herpes according to doctors. His brother said the disease altered his way of thinking.

“He was looking at things differently,” his brother said.

Authorities have yet to confirm the rumor as a motive for the killings.

Pictured: Alexandria Pierce, Amesha Page-Smith, Adrianne Stevens And Brinton Millsap