ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — A 70-year-old man and a 72-year-old woman were found dead Wednesday evening in their home near Ocoee, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said.
Deputies said their deaths were the result of a murder-suicide.
Gary Lee Pritchard, 70, and Helen Vivian Pritchard, 72, were found in a home on Calathea Drive near Balboa Drive and Good Homes Road, Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Jane Watrel said.
The couple's son, who lives at the home, found his parents dead, Watrel said.
A neighbor said Gary Pritchard’s health had been declining. She said the couple was one of the first homeowners to move into the neighborhood.
“They were a very loving couple. Very tight knit. When you saw one, you saw the other,” said Theola Holmes.
Holmes said she regularly saw Helen walk her dog.
“She would also talk to whoever she met along the way, walking in the morning or in the afternoon,” Holmes said. “They were a beautiful couple. I would never imagine they wouldn’t be here today.”
An autopsy showed the couple died of gunshot wounds.
No other details were given.