Lakewood Village couple dead in apparent murder-suicide

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — A husband and wife in their mid to late 80s are dead after an apparent murder-suicide in Lakewood Village, authorities said.

The incident is the first murder-suicide of 2018, said sheriff’s spokesman Maj. Eric Flowers. The couple has not yet been identified.

“All evidence we have indicates it’s a murder-suicide,” Flowers said. “It’s a sad situation all around.”

Detectives responded to a call from a family member about 6 a.m. Friday after the relative found the husband and wife with gunshot wounds at their mobile home at the RV Resort of Lakewood Village, Flowers said. The unidentified family member found a suicide note on the couple’s front door.

The husband, who was a veteran, and wife were pronounced dead at the scene, Flowers said. Details on who pulled the trigger and how many times both were shot were not available.

There was no evidence of forced entry and no one else lived at the home, located in the western section of the county in the 1400 block of 90th Avenue, south of 20th Street and east of Interstate 95.

The couple’s mobile home sits in a quiet, tree-lined neighborhood. A property official at the community declined to comment.

Flowers said murder-suicides are not common for Indian River County.

This story will be updated when more information becomes available.