Gainesville, FL: Couple found dead in apartment identified

The two people found dead in their Tower Oaks Glen apartment Thursday afternoon have been identified as Mary Ellen Dunnigan, 44, and Steven R. England, 46.

Their bodies were discovered by the apartment complex’s painter and England’s co-worker.

“I saw him laying in bed with a shotgun between his legs and blood everywhere,” he said.

Alachua County sheriff’s spokesman Art Forgey said there will be further investigation into the deaths, but as of now, the deaths are being called a murder-suicide.

“Autopsies were conducted this morning and we are still waiting general information from those still continuing forensics testing, Forgey said. “We have a few more interviews to conduct to make an official ruling on this.”

Forgey said England killed Dunnigan and then himself.

The couple had a volatile relationship, Forgey said. Police were called to their home three times starting on Oct. 11, 2012 for different domestic incidents.

On that date, England was arrested and told police that he did not want to live anymore, Forgey said.

The complex’s property manager Karen Baird said England walked out of work and told a different maintenance man he was going home to load a shotgun.

“He said if anyone came to his house he would blow their brains out,” she said.