CLERMONT, Fla. – A pool service employee reported a foul odor coming from a Clermont home Tuesday morning, leading to the discovery of three bodies detectives believe are victims of a double murder-suicide.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded to a home at 11328 Avenida Augusta in the Crescent Lake Club subdivision after a pool employee who was checking on the home noticed the odor shortly before noon.
Deputies forced entry into the home and discovered three adult bodies.
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“Based upon the preliminary observations of the scene, it appears that this may be a double murder-suicide,” Lake County sheriff’s Lt. John Herrell said in an email.
Herrell said they believe a woman fatally shot her husband and their son with special needs then turned the gun on herself. Based on documents found in the home, Herrell said the woman had likely been planning to kill her family.
“It is very sad. Yeah, it’s one of those cases that I just hate to see. It’s heartbreaking and we wish there could have been a better way around whatever the family was dealing with but yeah, very tragic, very sad especially this time of year, no doubt,” Herrell said.
The woman and her husband are in their 70s while their son is in his 50s, records show.
They were last seen about three weeks ago when the husband returned home after receiving treatment at a hospital, according to authorities.
“I’m not sure what kind of health issues he had but he apparently had some significant health issues,” Herrell said.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, neighbors had not seen the residents recently. It’s unclear when they died.
The investigation is active and no other details were immediately available.