• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
MENUMENU
MENUMENU
  • Home
  • About
    • Contact Us
    • FlaglerLive Board of Directors
    • Comment Policy
    • Mission Statement
    • Our Values
    • Privacy Policy
  • Live Calendar
  • Submit Obituary
  • Submit an Event
  • Support FlaglerLive
  • Advertise on FlaglerLive (386) 503-3808
  • Search Results

FlaglerLive

No Bull, no Fluff, No Smudges

MENUMENU
  • Flagler
    • Flagler County Commission
    • Beverly Beach
    • Economic Development Council
    • Flagler History
    • Mondex/Daytona North
    • The Hammock
    • Tourist Development Council
  • Palm Coast
    • Palm Coast City Council
    • Palm Coast Crime
  • Bunnell
    • Bunnell City Commission
    • Bunnell Crime
  • Flagler Beach
    • Flagler Beach City Commission
    • Flagler Beach Crime
  • Cops/Courts
    • Circuit & County Court
    • Florida Supreme Court
    • Federal Courts
    • Flagler 911
    • Fire House
    • Flagler County Sheriff
    • Flagler Jail Bookings
    • Traffic Accidents
  • Rights & Liberties
    • Fourth Amendment
    • First Amendment
    • Privacy
    • Second Amendment
    • Seventh Amendment
    • Sixth Amendment
    • Sunshine Law
    • Third Amendment
    • Religion & Beliefs
    • Human Rights
    • Immigration
    • Labor Rights
    • 14th Amendment
    • Civil Rights
  • Schools
    • Adult Education
    • Belle Terre Elementary
    • Buddy Taylor Middle
    • Bunnell Elementary
    • Charter Schools
    • Daytona State College
    • Flagler County School Board
    • Flagler Palm Coast High School
    • Higher Education
    • Imagine School
    • Indian Trails Middle
    • Matanzas High School
    • Old Kings Elementary
    • Rymfire Elementary
    • Stetson University
    • Wadsworth Elementary
    • University of Florida/Florida State
  • Economy
    • Jobs & Unemployment
    • Business & Economy
    • Development & Sprawl
    • Leisure & Tourism
    • Local Business
    • Local Media
    • Real Estate & Development
    • Taxes
  • Commentary
    • The Conversation
    • Pierre Tristam
    • Diane Roberts
    • Guest Columns
    • Byblos
    • Editor's Blog
  • Culture
    • African American Cultural Society
    • Arts in Palm Coast & Flagler
    • Books
    • City Repertory Theatre
    • Flagler Auditorium
    • Flagler Playhouse
    • Flagler Youth Orchestra
    • Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra
    • Palm Coast Arts Foundation
    • Special Events
  • Elections 2024
    • Amendments and Referendums
    • Presidential Election
    • Campaign Finance
    • City Elections
    • Congressional
    • Constitutionals
    • Courts
    • Governor
    • Polls
    • Voting Rights
  • Florida
    • Federal Politics
    • Florida History
    • Florida Legislature
    • Florida Legislature
    • Ron DeSantis
  • Health & Society
    • Flagler County Health Department
    • Ask the Doctor Column
    • Health Care
    • Health Care Business
    • Covid-19
    • Children and Families
    • Medicaid and Medicare
    • Mental Health
    • Poverty
    • Violence
  • All Else
    • Daily Briefing
    • Americana
    • Obituaries
    • News Briefs
    • Weather and Climate
    • Wildlife

Grand Jury Declines to Indict Ex-Flagler Beach Cop Bobby MacDonald Over Wife’s Gunshot Wound, But Case May Remain Open for Years

April 9, 2014 | FlaglerLive | 18 Comments

The intersection of County Road 304 and County Road 305, known as Tucker's Turnpike--for Tucker Insurance, in the background at the corner--where Bobby MacDonald brought his wife Kathy with a gunshot wound to the head on July 20, 2012. (Tucker Insurance)
The intersection of County Road 302 and County Road 305, known as Tucker’s Turnpike–for Tucker Insurance, in the background at the corner–where Bobby MacDonald brought his wife Kathy with a gunshot wound to the head on July 20, 2012. (Tucker Insurance)

It’s been 20 months since Robert MacDonald, a Flagler Beach police officer at the time, drove his wife Kathy bleeding from a gunshot wound to the head to the intersection of County Roads 302 and 305, from where she placed in an ambulance and eventually airlifted to Halifax hospital.

And it’s been 20 months that the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office and the State Attorney’s Office have been investigating the case to determine if MacDonald had a role in the shooting. Kathy MacDonald had, in fact, accused her husband of grabbing her from behind and shooting her, in her description of the shooting to paramedics as she was being flown to a trauma unit.

The State Attorney this week took the case to a grand jury. But on Monday, a Flagler County grand jury declined to indict MacDonald, returning instead a No True Bill finding.

That means the grand jury found no probable cause to go forward. But the case may remain open for years, State Attorney R.J. Larizza said Wednesday.

By taking the case to a grand jury, the State Attorney’s office essentially believed that the shooting was not an attempted suicide, as has also been speculated.

MacDonald himself was never arrested. He was suspended with his $39,000-a-year pay from the Flagler Beach Police Department, but never returned to work. The 60-year-old Vietnam veteran retired to Tennessee in January.

“Bottom line is the case is not closed in the sense that it’s totally over,” Larizza said. It will remain open so that “if new information comes up or somebody comes forward,” it may again proceed to a grand jury. But that could be years. Larizza cited the example of a case in St. Johns County where an ex-wife’s homicide was solved decades after the fact when new information emerged and allowed the case to be resolved.

Larizza had no criticism for the grand jury. “I believe in the jury system and that includes the grand jury system,” he said. “We empower them to make their decisions.”

Asked about the Sheriff’s Office’s investigation, Larizza said, “they did a thorough job and gave us what information they could,” but he declined to answer when asked if mistakes were made.

Information was sketchy at the time of the shooting. “I don’t think we have honest proof at this point that he shot her or that she shot herself,” then-Sheriff Don Fleming said. He described Kathy MacDonald as “under the influence of alcohol” at the time, and that her husband had found her on the floor at the couple’s rented home after he got off work at 6 p.m.

The case report was filed by Flagler County Sheriff’s deputy Jennifer Prevatt, who reported that Bobby MacDonald notified 911 through his patrol-car radio at 6:33 p.m. July 20 that he needed an ambulance. He then told 911 that “he was going to put ‘her’ in the vehicle and meet the ambulance along the way,” the report states. “Officer MacDonald then requested that a law enforcement officer meet him at this location. I then inquired as to what code response was needed and I was advised code one by Officer MacDonald.” Code One is a non-emergency response.

“I arrived on scene at approximately 6:46 p.m.,” Prevatt’s report continues, “and just prior to doing so I was advised that the female patient possibly shot herself in the head and was drunk and combative. When I arrived on scene I observed members of Rescue 51 were attending to a female patient in the parking lot area of Tucker’s Insurance (1044 County Road 305). At this time I observed that the female patient was standing near the back passenger door of the Flagler Beach Patrol car (# 2602). Members of Rescue 51 were applying a neck brace on her. They then secured her on a back board. I observed that this female had lots of blood covering her face and both of her eyes were very swollen. Medic Brady Barry advised me that the female had a wound to her right temple area that was close to her eyebrow. He then pointed this wound out to me.

“Officer MacDonald made the statement to me that he thought she shot herself in the head with his .38 snub nose. He further stated that he came home from work and walked into the residence and called out to his wife, Kathryn MacDonald, and got no answer. He then stated he found her inside the residence with blood on her face. When he asked her what happened he stated she told him that she had fallen.”

Prevatt asked Kathy MacDonald what happened, but she never replied, the report states. Nor did she reply to paramedics, or to Bobby MacDonald, who was at the intersection with the cops and paramedics all along. MacDonald then asked her if she had shot herself in the head. She responded by saying, “I’ll tell you later,” the report states. The ambulance doors were then closed. It was then determined that Kathy MacDonald would be flown to Halifax hospital’s trauma unit by Flagler County Fire Flight, which indicated a critical emergency situation.

“It should be noted,” Prevatt’s report states, “that I noticed blood on both of Officers MacDonald’s arms and his right hand. I further noticed blood located in the front passenger seat of his patrol car. There was a towel with blood on it lying on the floor board. I further noticed blood on the passenger seat and side door panel.”

The report continues: “After Fire Flight transported the female patient from the scene I was advised by Corporal Edmonds that he was informed that the female had made the statement to Rescue 51 personnel that her husband had shot her. It was determined that paramedic Brady Barry and Jesse Hunter heard the female say this. J. Hunter stated that while the female was inside the ambulance he asked her how she sustained the injury at which time she told them that her husband grabbed her from behind and shot her in the head. B. Barry stated that he heard her make this statement too. B. Barry and J. Hunter completed sworn written statements in regards to the statement they heard the female patient make.”

Kathy MacDonald had been working at Flagler Beach’s Oceanside Beach Bar and Grill for a year at the time of the shooting. The News-Journal’s Julie Murphy reported that MacDonald, 52, is now blind and living in a rehabilitation center in Daytona Beach, receiving few visitors. She had been married to Bobby MacDonald less than a year at the time of the shooting.

Support FlaglerLive's End of Year Fundraiser
Thank you readers for getting us to--and past--our year-end fund-raising goal yet again. It’s a bracing way to mark our 15th year at FlaglerLive. Our donors are just a fraction of the 25,000 readers who seek us out for the best-reported, most timely, trustworthy, and independent local news site anywhere, without paywall. FlaglerLive is free. Fighting misinformation and keeping democracy in the sunshine 365/7/24 isn’t free. Take a brief moment, become a champion of fearless, enlightening journalism. Any amount helps. We’re a 501(c)(3) non-profit news organization. Donations are tax deductible.  
You may donate openly or anonymously.
We like Zeffy (no fees), but if you prefer to use PayPal, click here.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. orphan says

    April 9, 2014 at 5:42 pm

    Thanks for this recent upgrade.
    While I respectfully accept some of the information in this report/article, I have to mention that there are MANY people with inside information about the situation who are afraid to make public statements because of fear of retribution. That is a damn shame against them and our society.
    This woman did NOT attempt suicide!
    Take it for what it’s worth.

  2. Reaganomicon says

    April 9, 2014 at 7:01 pm

    Other things that people should be aware of, from an alternate local news source:

    1. His two wives prior to the one that was shot both say that he had a history of physical violence, to quote a police report involving himself and one of them:

    “Upon arrival, complainant advised that she and her husband, Robert J. MacDonald, had a very heated argument which resulted in Robert picking up a 7” butcher knife and threatening to slit Nancy’s throat”

    2. He stopped paying rent to his landlord after his wife was shot and claimed that he was depending on his children for money, but in reality he was on paid leave. He also skipped out on three months rent. The landlord said that it took “four adults two days to clean up all the beer cans and bottles.” Also, there was still blood on the walls.

    Now, I don’t know what happened and really the only people that do are he and his wife, one of which is blind and in a home. It seems odd to me that it took almost TWO YEARS for a grand jury to meet and make a decision, while he gets 18 months worth of paid leave and gets to leave the state.

  3. Yikes says

    April 9, 2014 at 7:13 pm

    Pretty ovbvious this was an attempted murder, from the ‘hunch in the gut’, down to the fact that they were together only a year and he moved out of state almost immediately after the incident.

  4. RedRoverRedRover says

    April 9, 2014 at 7:24 pm

    I meet this guy a couple times. He is just like a another guy I know who is an Vietnam vet whom to this day still sees “gooks” all around him and he was a cop in Memphis tenneseee. Crazy as a loon and has many guns. Its what the war does to you…..He could have had a “flash back” and thought she was a VC combatant.

  5. [email protected] says

    April 9, 2014 at 9:29 pm

    what a guy, runs away to another state while his wife is blind and living in a rehab center. nothing but a flunky leo

  6. A.S.F. says

    April 9, 2014 at 10:52 pm

    Watch for all the righteous indignation when he finally kills someone….Unless the person he kills is another woman or a Black person. From the looks of it, as long as this fine specimen of a Police officer picks the targets of his rage carefully, he will continue to get away with anything and everything, including murder

  7. Flatsflyer says

    April 10, 2014 at 5:58 am

    It use to be “To Protect and Serve”, lately it has become “To Coverup, Abuse and Ripoff the Public”

  8. Genie says

    April 10, 2014 at 6:56 am

    Interesting that he chose to direct the ambulance away from his home. I hope the police went immediately to the scene.

    Why doesn’t anybody believe this woman?

  9. Since 1987 says

    April 10, 2014 at 8:14 am

    Has the victim made any statements, especially after receiving medical care and being free of alcohol?

  10. A.S.F. says

    April 10, 2014 at 2:31 pm

    Reminds me of the Drew Peterson case. Hope not as many people end up dead.

  11. Anonymous says

    April 10, 2014 at 7:41 pm

    This story of MacDonalds has more contradictions, falsehoods and confabulated reason, that the entire thing stinks to high hell. And there was no arrest in spite of the statement of the victim wife? What’s wrong with this picture?

  12. Because says

    April 10, 2014 at 11:03 pm

    I know Bob and I really don’t think he had anything to do with this. He is a nice guy. His ex wives are bitter because they didn’t get alimony or child support. He raised his boys alone. He did not move out of state for almost a year afterwards. None of us know for sure what happened, but I also believe innocent until proven guilty.

  13. Jamie says

    April 11, 2014 at 12:43 am

    why were there hands not swabbed for gunshot residue?

  14. Annoyed says

    April 11, 2014 at 6:24 am

    Good to know that all you have to do to get away with shooting someone is say “they did it to themselves.”

  15. Jennifer Lopez says

    April 11, 2014 at 9:18 am

    something fishy bout that story,

  16. ooops says

    April 12, 2014 at 9:35 am

    GSR is not determinate of anything other than the substance swabbed has been in contact with chemicals associated with small arms primers and propellant. If he hand cuffed someone for discharging a firearm, he could very well be cross contaminated with GSR. GSR is amazing on TV but lacking in real life,

  17. Reaganomicon says

    April 12, 2014 at 12:16 pm

    Don’t forget the “and be a cop” part of the deal, just look at Juratovac. Shoot someone in the chest a few times and get a slap on a wrist and a literal fistbump on the way to jail.

  18. Really? says

    April 21, 2014 at 6:37 am

    i am curious as to what you base your comment on? i would like to know specifics.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  • Conner Bosch law attorneys lawyers offices palm coast flagler county
  • grand living realty
  • politis matovina attorneys for justice personal injury law auto truck accidents

Primary Sidebar

  • grand living realty
  • politis matovina attorneys for justice personal injury law auto truck accidents

Recent Comments

  • Jimbo on Palm Coast Will Not Charge Residents ACH Autopay Check Fees in Utility Payments After All
  • PB on Palm Coast Will Not Charge Residents ACH Autopay Check Fees in Utility Payments After All
  • Mike P on David Jolly Makes It Official: He’s Running for Governor as Newly-Minted Centrist Democrat
  • Deborah Coffey on David Jolly Makes It Official: He’s Running for Governor as Newly-Minted Centrist Democrat
  • Samuel L. Bronkowitz on David Jolly Makes It Official: He’s Running for Governor as Newly-Minted Centrist Democrat
  • Sherry2 on Mark Strobridge, Sheriff’s Chief of Staff, Set to Be Assistant City Manager in Palm Coast for 3 Months
  • Willy James on New Cell Towers Planned for Palm Coast Parkway East of I-95 and in Seminole Woods, as Business and Safety ‘Necessity’
  • Atwp on 1.3-Mile Sea Wall at South End of Flagler Complete But for Turtle Nest’s Delay, Giving A1A ‘Highest Protection’
  • Dennis C Rathsam on 1.3-Mile Sea Wall at South End of Flagler Complete But for Turtle Nest’s Delay, Giving A1A ‘Highest Protection’
  • Sherry2 on Mark Strobridge, Sheriff’s Chief of Staff, Set to Be Assistant City Manager in Palm Coast for 3 Months
  • Jane Gentile-Youd on New Cell Towers Planned for Palm Coast Parkway East of I-95 and in Seminole Woods, as Business and Safety ‘Necessity’
  • DaleL on Judge Dismayed as Hit-and-Run Defendant Rejects 1-Year Deal to Risk Up to 15 in Prison
  • Marek on Poland Veers Right, a Bad Omen for EU, Ukraine and Women
  • Mothersworry on Restaurants Will Be Required to Make Tipping and ‘Fees’ Clear Upfront
  • Skibum on New Cell Towers Planned for Palm Coast Parkway East of I-95 and in Seminole Woods, as Business and Safety ‘Necessity’
  • JC on David Jolly Makes It Official: He’s Running for Governor as Newly-Minted Centrist Democrat

Log in