Autopsy reveals how husband, wife died in suspected Lakewood Ranch murder-suicide
A 74-year-old Lakewood Ranch man is suspected of having killed his wife before cutting himself in what detectives believe was a murder-suicide.
Tery E. McAvoy and his wife, 63, were both found dead on Friday inside their condo in the 7000 Block of Lake Vista Court in the Lake Vista Residences.
The couple had not been heard from in over a week, and a relative called the sheriff’s office and requested a welfare check.
The couple’s bodies were so decomposed that investigators could not initially confirm their identities.
The sheriff’s office has since identified the couple but would not identify the woman citing Florida’s Marcy’s Law. Property records identify McAvoy’s wife as Ellen McAvoy.
Autopsies performed on Tuesday revealed the woman died of asphyxiation — also known as suffocation or being deprived of oxygen — and her husband died after cutting himself with a sharp object, the sheriff’s office announced that afternoon.
“There is no evidence that anyone else was involved,” the sheriff’s office stated in the update.
“Detectives do not have a clear motive for the deaths, but have reason to believe the two were having domestic issues.”
This story was originally published May 31, 2022 at 2:55 PM.
