Chesterfield, VA: Neighbors react to Chesterfield murder-suicide

CHESTERFIELD, VA (WWBT) -

Chesterfield Police say two shooting deaths in the Rayon Park subdivision appear to be the end result of a murder-suicide. David Brogdon and Donna Cheatham were both shot at a duplex on Rycliff Avenue.

Neighbors say they didn't hear gun shots nor did they suspect any tension between the couple.

When NBC12 arrived, Brogdon's next-door neighbors were washing blood off the car and the driveway where the woman was found.

"Just in a split second, he's gone-just gone," said his neighbor and good friend, Muriel Myers.

Myers, who has live in the duplex for 12 years and has been neighbors with Brogdon for more than three years. She says the former widower had been in a relationship with Donna Cheatham for over a year, and suspected nothing that would have escalated to this.

"I'm still grasping-can't wrap my mind around it," Myers said.

At 5:30 Friday evening, a neighbor across the street noticed Cheatham on the ground in between a red Camaro and gold Lexus under the carport.

"I looked over and it looked like a pile of clothes with a whole bunch of flies coming off of her," said the neighbor who discovered her. "There was a woman there. I immediately looked at the house and something told me to just go call police."

"I just freaked out and said where is my friend, Dave?" Myers added. "I wanted to go in the house, but my friend prevented me from doing that because I was starting to panic."

After police arrived, Myers says they found David Brogdon dead on his couch in the living room. She says signs of struggle were evident from the outside- a bloody hand print still stains the door. Police haven't said what led up to the shooting.

Myers says Brogdon worked as a dump truck driver. He was very handy and would always help her kids and neighbors with repairs.

"You could call on him," Myers noted. "He was helpful and very private. My heart goes out to their family. It's just sad someone has to lose their live. You never know what their argument was or what happened."

Neighbors say this is a quiet neighborhood, mostly with older people and families. They've never heard of this kind of violence here.

Right now forensic teams are still trying to determine how and when the shooting happened.

Stay with NBC12 for the latest developments.