An update is available here.
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office is currently at a home at 21 Barkwood Lane in northern Palm Coast, investigating an apparent murder-suicide involving a middle aged couple. A Florida Department of Law Enforcement unit arrived at 7:25 p.m.
The victims are David Sharp, 52, and Terry Sharp, 54.
The couple was found dead in their home around 4:41 p.m. by neighbors who called deputies to the scene. A neighbor reportedly kept hearing the dogs barking in the house–the residents owned two young dogs. When the neighbor went over to the house, he saw an open door, and noticed a man on the ground in the house. Others said the man was seen with a with a shotgun next to him, and a woman was on the ground on the porch toward the back of the house.
Both suffered gunshot wounds and a shotgun was recovered at the scene. Deputies are attempting to determine when the incident occurred.
“I though I heard a gunshot, more like a damn shotgun, it was pretty loud,” Ken Bell, who lives one street over, on Barkley Lane, said. He was taking a stroll on his bike at about 8:15 tonight when he was interviewed, recalling this afternoon’s sounds. “I had the windows open, didn’t think anything of it. This was probably twoish, something like that,” in the afternoon. This afternoon. “I was sitting there watching television, I heard a gunshot and thought, damn. I was watching the Bourne Supremacy or something like that. I was flipping between sports channel and the Bourne Supremacy.” Bell said he thought it could have been a car backfiring. He said he only heard one shot.
“It sounds like a gun but you don’t think of it as a gun shot. There ain’t no gun fire in Palm Coast, right?” Bell said.
Bell walks his dog through here “all the time,” he says, making a point to speak to everybody. The male victim, he said, loved his garage, “especially on sports nights, Saturday nights and things like that. Just one of those neighbors you see and say hello but never get to know, you know what I mean? I come by with my dog, say hello. It’s unbelievable. Unbelievable.”
The neighbors at 19 Barkwood Lane, however–the neighbors who called 911–said they were in their yard working most of the afternoon and didn’t hear anything. They described the Sharps as “very nice people” who “never bothered anybody.” They’d moved in a couple of years back after living in the same neighborhood, a few streets over.
The 1600-foot house has been owned since 2003 by George and Beverly Wilson. The Sharps were renters.
Neighbors one house over, at 23 Barkwood, say they never heard the sound of a shotgun. They said they’d gone fishing with the couple once. A teenage boy who lives at 23 Barkwood said he was talking guitar lessons from the man next door.
Tom and Cindy Cashman, who live almost parallel to the house on Barkwood, one street over–on Bassett Lane–routinely walk their dog on Barkwood. Tom said he’d been up until 2 a.m. Sunday morning, watching live and recorded basketball games, with windows open, and never heard anything.
“We were out in the yard this morning, we walked the dogs, I didn’t see anything unusual,” Cindy Cashman said. She said the couple often watched television in the garage, which they’d turned into an extension of their living areas. “They’d just sit in there, especially in the winter,” Cashman said, “they’d pull the screen down. It was like an extra family room for them.”
“We’ve been here 16 years,” Tom Cashman said, noting the irony of watching the news about the disaster in Japan and the latest war in the Middle East, “and nothing seems to happen around here.”
A Palm Coast animal control unit has been at the scene for several hours. Just before 8 p.m., animal control officers brought out a small dog. An officer described the dogs as “traumatized” and said the dogs will be cared for, and that it’ll be up to next of kin, who are apparently not in town, to decide how to care for them once they’re able.
“I see this man every day he sits in his garage, watches his television and polishes his bike,” Bell said.
There are three vehicles in the driveway: a company pickup owned by CPH Engineers, a Sarasota-based company, a Dodge pick-up truck and a Dodge Avenger. There were three medicine containers strewn alongside the front driveway that by evening were each marked by crime-scene identifying numbers. The yard was well tended. As FDLE investigators worked inside the house, a large, flat-screen television was on in the living room, likely as it had been at the time of the shooting.
The sheriff’s office was not investigating the actual scene in the house. Two deputies arrived at the house after the 911 call. When they saw the bodies, they called in a detective and secured the scene, leaving it to FDLE to process and investigate. “We don’t have the lab that FDLE does and the equipment to process the scene, so we leave it up to them,” Debbie Johnson, the sheriff’s spokeswoman, said.
The bodies were still in the house at 9:20 p.m., pending the end of FDLE’s processing and the medical examiner’s own investigation. The FDLE was likely to be at the scene until around midnight, Johnson said, possibly later.
County Worker says
“There ain’t no gun fire in Palm Coast,right”. If anyone believes that I have a very nice bridge I will sell them. It’s a shame that some people feel this is the only solution to there problems. As for Palm Coast being so safe and serene keep watching Dr. Phil and everything will be ok.
Dimpsy says
I can’t understand it. They were my Brother and Sister in law and seemed happy. They did have there problems yes but we all do. They were planning a trip to the keys for this summer and had already made arrangements and put money away for the vacation. Our family is devistated so if you have any bashing to do please keep it to your self. As for the shot gun, I know the damage it can do and there is no mistaking its effects. I hope there is a thorough investigation because i just dont understand it.
Haw Creek Girl says
Suicide is usually the result of mental illness not made during a period of lucidity. If someone commits suicide then I can understand better……but why take someone else out with you?
maggie says
SAD
A support staffer and a parent says
My condolences to you, Dimpsy. I’m so sorry. {{{HUGS}}}
watson says
Dimpsy, we are neighbors to David and Terry and I offer you my deepest condolenses. They were really nice people. They always offered support for my daughters sport fund raisers and he was showing my son to play the guitar. They could tell some crazy story about the past, really interesting ones that keep you listening. They welcomed us to the neighborhood immediately, very friendly. I am so sorry for your family, it is a great loss.
Dimpsy says
Thank you all for the support!
Char says
Hello, I am Dimpsy’s wife and Terry sharp was my baby Sister, my only Sister! Words cannot express the devastation I feel over losing her, and the way I lost her is just about unbearable. I am glad Dave was able to assist your Son with guitar lessons, Watson. I am also happy you had the pleasure of knowing the 2 of them. It will take me a very long time to forgive Dave for killing Terry Lynn, but am also certain that something had to go terribly wrong since he was normally a gentle man. The article mentions that they lived a few streets over before moving to 21 Barkwood, when actually they lived at 19 Barkwood before moving to 21. They loved Palm Coast. Thanks to everyone who is posting kind words, they mean so much to us during this most difficult time! Blessings to all!
Dee says
I’m glad the family chimed in early, otherwise some rude things could have been said. Unfortunately, this happens all too often. I would hope people reading this article can keep it clean, and continue to pray for Char and Dimpsy during this very difficult time. Thanks for speaking up, without your voice this would be just another headline.
Mary Lou Sharp says
Thank You Char & Dimpsy for responding to some of the comments regarding my stepson and daughter in laws deaths..As you can imagine we are all in shock.. We don’t know what happened and if any of us could forsee this .. David was not a violent man,, I have been married to his Dad for 35 years and never remember him raising his voice or speaking harshley to Terry or about her.. He loved her and she loved him.. Only God knows what was in his heart and hers.. We are trying to cope with the loss of both Terry and David.. We loved Terry as a daughter.. Please pray for David’s Dad and Mother, Brother, and sisters, he also left behind a son and daughter and 3 grandchildren… We have to except this and try to live with our loss. May God heal you both.
A parent says
{{{HUGS}}} and sympathy to you, too, Char. And my heartfelt condolences to your entire family.
Char says
Mary Lou,
The words in your elegant post made me take a few steps back and really look at myself. Honestly, at the moment my loss seems so great and it is almost as though I “need” someone to blame and I picked Dave. MaryLou, I loved him, admired him and respected him. He took my precious Sister out of that hell of a life she had for the 22 years prior to David entering it and sat her on a pedestal…treated her like a queen and loved her with all of his heart. The kind of love that he showed her changed her from the egotistical, greedy person she was for all those years into a kind hearted, loving and devoted young lady. I fear the human in me came out more powerfully than it should have but the pain and shock has been too much to bear. You are correct, we have both lost two wonderful people and the world will be a void of some of it’s light because they are no longer in it. I did not want to forgive Dave…but I know I have to for me and I have to because our Lord says “If you cannot forgive others, then I will not forgive you” All of David’s family, friends, and co-workers are in my prayers as of this moment, and will continue until I draw my last breath! Thank you, for applying the healing salve to my sightless eyes and for helping my stone heart to turn back into flesh! Bless you now and always, Char
Peggy says
For everyone touched by this heart broken loss, I say for myself, davids niece, and for my mother, Carolyn, this is a sad day for both families I am sure. David is not who this portrays him to be. He was a wonderful uncle and this is tragic for myself and my mom( god rest her sole) and all others affected by this unforeseen horrible tragedy, my thoughts and prays to all of Terry’s family and all of my family as well.
Buddy & Kathy says
We are sorry for the loss of Terry and David. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families. They were our friends, and yes we are in as much shock as anyone else. We knew them for 7 years, rode the bikes together and attended 4th of July dinners and other parties at there house. Never would I have ever thought that this would happen. Please keep us informed on the arrangements because we would like to attend, Buddy worked with Terry, and they will be missed by all. May God be with the families.
Joe and Louise says
To the families of David and Terry….words cannot express our deepest sympathy.
We lived next door to David and Terry since they moved to 21 Barkwood Lane from a few doors up the street. We were the ones who found them and called 911. We can not make any sense out of this whole thing. The whole time we lived next door, we never heard any arguing or fighting like all married couples do. David and I talked a few days earlier about his upcoming trip to the Keys and that Terry’s sister would be staying at the house so in case we saw someone strange we would know what was going on.
They just bought 2 new vehicles about a month ago and were both constantly washing them. They recently planted a queen palm in the front yard and were always doing something to improve their home. Even though it was a rental, they considered it home and were constantly making improvements. David and I talked about the housing market and he said that he and Terry were thinking about buying a house (since the market was right for buying). I asked if he thought the owner might consider selling this place…he said he asked before but maybe he would try again. I told him I couldn’t ask for better neighbors and wished him luck. That was the last time I would ever talk to him or see him until that fateful day.
I still cannot make any sense out of it…if someone can…I sure would like to know!
I worked out of town for a few years and would be gone all week and come home on the weekends. I never had to worry about my wife, because if anything happened (like the time the garage door got stuck) all she had to do was call David and he would come to her rescue. They also loved to grill out and I’ll miss the smell of charcoal coming from their back yard. They were great neighbors who we could always count on to keep an eye on our house if we were away. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families, neighbors and friends of two people we were lucky to have known.
April says
I am David’s little sister and I wanted to say thank you to everyone who has posted such kind words, memories, and condolences for our family and Terry’s family. As Mary Lou stated earlier, we are all still in complete shock over this terrible tragedy. Words cannot express the devastation we feel in losing David and Terry. We never in a million years would have thought that this could happen. I feel so sad that David and I didn’t spend more time together and now it’s too late. I loved him and Terry very much. Thank you again everyone for posting your memories of David and Terry. It has been very comforting. We will post details of David’s memorial when things have been planned.