Couple’s deaths from late October ruled as suicides

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The deaths of a couple found deceased in their southwest Ocala home in late October have been ruled as suicides, authorities say.

The couple has been identified by the Ocala Police Department as Kenneth Gaines, 47, and Stephanie Gaines, 45. The couple died from self-inflicted gunshot wounds on Oct. 16 and were found by Stephanie’s father, Thomas Bowles, on Oct. 18.

The couple’s death was the fourth incident in a string of double deaths that occurred in separate, unrelated incidents throughout the month. One pair’s death was ruled to be a murder-suicide, the next pair’s death is currently being investigated as a double homicide, and the third was ruled as another murder-suicide.

Bowles told investigators that he knew his daughter and her husband were having financial troubles related to their business, AJU Customs, in which they customize off-road vehicles. The couple had been having marital problems due to their financial strain, and had been married for nearly 10 years, he said.

After Bowles hadn’t been able to reach either of them for several days, he went to the couple’s house where he found their bodies. Both Kenneth’s and Stephanie’s toxicology reports done by the medical examiner’s office showed findings of ethanol, amphetamines, methamphetamines and a high blood-alcohol content.

With the opening of the investigation into the Gaines’ deaths, this marked the fourth double death in Marion County in just half a month.

On Oct. 3, OPD investigators responded to Southeast 34th Terrace in relation to a report of a death. They found an elderly couple, Robert Fischer and a woman whose name has not been released, both deceased with gunshot wounds to the head, according to the case report.

Those close to the pair who spoke to the police said the woman had dementia and that Fischer was one of her caretakers. Fischer left a suicide note in the house before shooting the woman and then himself, authorities said. The medical examiner ruled the woman’s cause of death as a homicide and Fischer’s cause of death as a suicide, according to the case report.

On Oct. 15 at about 11 a.m., Marion County Sheriff’s Office detectives responded to a home on Southeast 52nd Avenue, Ocala, in Whispering Sands.

“When deputies arrived, they located a male and female both deceased from apparent gunshot wounds. The victims have been identified as 32-year-old Kevin Ray Russell and 60-year-old Sandy Kara Bobman,” according to an MCSO press release. 

The incident was reported by a friend of the two victims who went to the apartment to check on Bobman and Russell and found them deceased, according to the incident report. 

The case was turned over to the MCSO Major Crimes unit, which is currently investigating the pair’s death as a double homicide. 

On Oct. 16, an MCSO deputy reported to Southwest 20th Lane to conduct a well-being check on a mother and son.

“When MCSO deputies arrived, they canvassed the home and noticed through the window what appeared to be a woman lying near a pool of blood,” according to an MCSO press release. “They entered the home and located 57-year-old Kathleen Callahan, deceased, and 26-year-old Birch Longfellow Crocker, deceased, with a firearm beside him.”

Crocker’s father, who lives in Connecticut, called authorities to check on his son after he did not call his grandmother on her birthday, according to the incident report. 

The investigation revealed that this incident was a murder–suicide, officials said. 

MCSO stated in a press release that this incident was unrelated to the double homicide that occurred just the day before in Whispering Sands. 

As of Nov. 20, the case of the suspected murders of Russell and Bobman in Whispering Sands remains ongoing, wrote MCSO spokesperson Paul Bloom.

“Detectives have been following up on some tips but (there are) no new developments at this time, unfortunately,” Bloom said.