A somber scene has unfolded in Fort Lauderdale where an elderly couple, Major and Claudette Melvin, both in their 80s, were found shot to death in their own home. Details from a police report suggest a brazen intruder entered and confronted the pair, fatally shooting them in a harrowing episode of violence. According to WPLG Local 10, the couple was discovered last week and their vehicle was missing, leading authorities to believe the suspect or suspects fled using the couple's means of transportation.
As the community reels from the shock, the victims’ daughter, Tonya Mitchell, spoke to WSVN about the loss, stating, "They look like they're just sleeping, but it's the worst thing that a person could ever imagine." Mitchell, in her rush to the scene from North Carolina, conveyed how incomprehensible the news had been upon hearing it.
Longstanding residents of the area since the 1970s, the Melvins reportedly moved from Virginia and had called the house on Southwest 30th Terrace home for decades. A neighbor who had known them for over two decades shared his bewilderment with WSVN, questioning the motive behind the murders, especially given that nothing appeared to have been stolen from the home. "I don't understand why they went in and started shooting," said Tommy Lavelle.
In a statement obtained by WSVN, Mitchell recounted the chilling details relayed by detectives. Her father tangled up in a blanket, shot at point-blank range, followed by her mother who was struck down in the chest upon entering the room. The couple's red Ford Fusion, a 2014 model with the Florida tag LTDQ16, was also taken. Broward County Crime Stoppers are urging anyone with information to come forward with a promise of anonymity and a potential reward of up to $5,000.
