Donna Gayle McCulloch suffered from years of spousal abuse and the horrors of a single car crash that left her paralyzed from the waist down, according to court records, Sheriff David Shoar and her divorce attorney.
But what led the doting St. Johns County mother to apparently shoot her two boys and then herself in their home Thursday night remains a mystery, Shoar said. The sheriff said he didn't doubt that both burdens left McCulloch, 40, desperate and possibly played a role in the shootings. But she left no note in the murder-suicide.
"The truth is, it's inexplicable," said Shoar, noting it's still early in the investigation. "We're not 100 percent sure what went through her mind."
The bodies of Julington Creek Elementary second-grader Daniel Joel Rashley, 8, and his brother, first-grader William Benjamin Rashley, 7, were found with their mother by her parents about 4:30 p.m., Shoar said.
They routinely checked on the mother and children and made one of those stops at their home at 504 Loveland Place when they found the bodies, Shoar said. There was no forced entry.
McCulloch used a handgun, but Shoar declined to say who it belonged to or why she had the weapon.
"Needless to say, it was horrific," Shoar said of the crime scene.
Shoar said the children's father, Daniel Rashley II, lives in Ohio and was reached there by police last night. He said the father was in St. Johns County as late as a week ago after being released from jail, where he'd been serving time for violating probation in a case in which he used his wife's credit cards without authorization. It's unclear when McCulloch and Rashley last had contact.
McCulloch used a wheelchair, having been paralyzed in a serious accident in 2010, said Katrina Muse, who represented her during her divorce. Muse, a St. Augustine attorney, said McCulloch worked for a pharmaceutical company and was a very friendly and well-liked woman. She also cherished being a mother.
“She loved her children and had a great rapport with them,” Muse said. “She was a good old-fashioned parent who worked hard.”
Dale O'Brien knew McCulloch for about four years, having last seen her a few years ago. O'Brien and McCulloch worked together as site agents for Ryland Homes. O'Brien said McCulloch was valued as a co-worker and a friend.
"She was literally the kindest, the most dedicated, loving and caring woman that you can ever imagine," O'Brien said. "She absolutely adored her kids. She would do anything for those children."
Records show that McCulloch and Rashley married in 2003, separated in March 2010 and divorced in August 2010. She was given primary custody, with the husband having supervised visits as part of a mediated settlement agreement.
Five months earlier, McCulloch sought and received an injunction for protection against her then husband.
In the injunction petition and the divorce case, McCulloch outlined what she said was seven years of abuse at the hands of her husband while they were living in Texas and Florida. The couple moved to St. Augustine in 2006, records show.
The troubles listed in the court records included:
- In 2003, McCulloch said Rashley punched her several times when she confronted him about being drunk. She was holding their 7-month-old son at the time. McCulloch said she sought help from police.
- In 2005, McCulloch said Rashley grabbed her by the arm, pushed her into a refrigerator and threw her on a bed. Rashley was later convicted of domestic violence, but the record was later expunged, the injunction said.
- In 2007, McCulloch said her husband left their children unsupervised while left alone with them. She later sought protection for them from him, but there's no record of police being called.
- In 2010, McCulloch said Rashley violently shook a neighborhood boy during an argument. He was arrested, but the charges were dropped, police said.
- In March 2010, McCulloch accused Rashley of threatening her during an argument about him wanting to drive to Ohio to get some dental work done. Fearing for her safety, McCulloch withdrew $500 from an ATM and gave it to her husband.
McCulloch, the sole financial provider for the family, sought a further explanation from Rashley when she said he punched her in the back, knocking her over a bicycle. He then left for Ohio. There is no record of police being called.
The petition also says that Rashley threatened to take the children at various points and never return them. It also accuses him of being an alcoholic, which he denied through a counter motion filed by his attorney.
Muse said the divorce was settled at mediation. She said despite the court record reflecting years of abuse in the relationship, she doesn’t doubt that McCulloch’s husband is in great pain over the deaths of his ex-wife and children. She warned people not to draw conclusions about Thursday's shootings based on their past troubles.
“It was a very difficult divorce,” Muse said. “It was a difficult marriage.”
Rashley couldn't be reached to comment. His divorce attorney, Brian North, said he hasn't spoken to Rashley since 2010. He also said the divorce was contentious.
"I certainly didn't see this coming," North said. "I don't see any connection between the divorce and this, but that's still to be determined."
Records show Rashley received probation in a 2010 case after being arrested for the unauthorized use of his wife's credit card. The fraud occurred after she was hospitalized following the life-threatening accident near their home in August.
Rashley was accused of ringing up about $6,000 in bills in that case. Most of his purchases were for alcohol, cigarettes and phone cards and in one case a TV and DVD player from Walmart, his arrest report said.
He received three years' probation, including a requirement to stay away from his wife. He violated that probation by sending text messages and got out of jail in that case about two weeks ago, records show.
The Sheriff's Office report for her June 29, 2010, crash said McCulloch's cell phone showed she had received a text message from a family member one to two minutes prior the wreck on Flora Branch Road. It said Rashley, who had a no-contact order against him, was at her apartment.
She accelerated and lost control of her car, smashing into a tree and power pole, the report said.
Christina Langston, a spokeswoman for the School Board, said grief counselors and student services staff were dispatched to the school to help.
“We’re deeply saddened by this tragedy,' Langston said. "We're trying to keep things as normal as possible, creating a stable environment for the children while they are in school."
Julington Creek Elementary School Principal Michael Story said the mood of the school is one of shock and deep sadness.
"This is a very close-knit community," Story said. "The parents are supporting the teachers, and the teachers are supporting the students. ... They were wonderful little boys full of life and excitement and are gone too soon."
He said the mother was involved with the school and her children.
"I know she loved the boys and they were very close to her," Story said.
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