TAVARES, Fla.—The deaths of two Tavares residents are believed to be the result of murder-suicide, Tavares Police Department said Thursday morning.
TPD responded to the home Tuesday on Landing View in Etowah to conduct a well-being check and found Randy Rice, 70, and Karen Knight, 72, a married couple, both deceased in the home, TPD Public Information Officer Courtney Sullivan said. Rice and Knight had both sustained gunshot wounds, and a firearm was found in Rice’s hand.
“Based on the preliminary investigation and physical evidence, detectives believe this to be an isolated incident and are investigating it as a likely murder-suicide, Sullivan said in an email.
There was no history of calls for service to the residence prior to Tuesday and family members described the couple as “happy” and told detectives they loved Disney.
Thursday, there was no known motive; the investigation is ongoing, and detectives are still processing evidence and conducting interviews, according to Sullivan.
“At this time no additional suspects are being sought, and there is no ongoing threat to the community,” she said.
This is the second case of murder-suicide in Tavares in less than five years. In February 2021, Wendy Higgins, 39, and James Delgiorno, 41, were shot while they slept in a home on Lakecrest Drive by Joseph McGuirl, 47. McGuirl was found slumped on the floor near Higgins with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Prior to finding the trio, TPD received a request for assistance in locating McGuirl from Leesburg Police Department after McGuirl made suicidal comments via text messages. LPD detectives obtained GPS data from McGuirl’s truck that showed his vehicle near the corner of Shorewood Drive and Lakecrest Drive in Tavares and advised Delgiorno was the owner of the home at 331 Lakecrest Drive. All three individuals worked together and were a “no-call, no-show” at work, TPD said, in the days following the incident.
