Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Dunnellon, FL: Former Keys woman killed in murder-suicide

Former Marathon resident Leona Field, 63, left the Florida Keys 15 years ago and longed to return. That opportunity is now gone: Field was killed in an apparent murder-suicide the afternoon of July 30 in Dunnellon, just east of Ocala, by her live-in boyfriend Mark Davidson, 60.

According to the Citrus County Sheriff's Office, Davidson shot Field twice in the head and neck after she asked him to move out of their house.

Ervin Higgs retired April 30 after more than 35 years as Monroe County property appraiser. Field worked for him in Marathon for 18 years, but left with then-husband Patrick Field, who's since died.

Field spent the past five years working for the Citrus County property appraiser and Higgs said she inquired from time to time about job openings in the Keys.

"She called me about two, three months before I left the office and asked if there was any place down here and was I looking for anyone," he said.

Higgs said Field, known as Big Red because of her stature and hair color, was a good employee.

"She was good handling people and doing the things that had to get done. She had a job that sometimes isn't all that great, but she let the people understand she had a job to do and certain rules to follow," he said.

Gail Tierney, spokeswoman for the Citrus County Sheriff's Office, said detectives recovered the handgun Davidson used to kill Field, then himself, in their front yard.

Davidson also hit 66-year-old Steven Snowman, of nearby Inverness, in the head with a metal stove grate. Tierney said Fields had asked Snowman and his girlfriend to be at the house when she broke up with Davidson.

"She was planning to tell Davidson to remove his belongings and leave the residence. But she was leery of what his reaction might be, so wanted friends present to help keep things under control. Snowman and his girlfriend were the only other people present when the shootings occurred," she said.

Tierney said detectives made no mention of Davidson having a history of mental illness or violence, but that "witnesses indicated [he] was known to have a temper." She said police hadn't been previously called to the couple's home.

Tierney said neighbors heard the shots and went outside to see what was happening. She added one neighbor with nursing experience "responded to the front yard to assist until [emergency medical service] personnel arrived on scene."

Field is survived by her father, two brothers, two sons and four grandchildren. A celebration of life is planned for 2 p.m. Saturday at her Dunnellon home.

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