A welfare check on Dividing Creek Road turned into a homicide investigation this week after Maryland State Police troopers found 67-year-old Christine Wells and 66-year-old Robert DeHart dead inside a home in Somerset County. Investigators are treating the deaths as an apparent murder-suicide.
Troopers from the Princess Anne Barrack were dispatched shortly before 7:30 p.m. on Sunday to a residence in the 7500 block of Dividing Creek Road, according to FOX 5 DC. Regional public safety logs cited by Eastern Shore Undercover put the initial dispatch time at 7:23 p.m. that Sunday. Once inside, according to the Salisbury Daily Times, police located DeHart with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound and found Wells unresponsive nearby; local emergency medical services personnel pronounced both dead at the scene.
Investigators determined that Wells and DeHart, both residents of the Pocomoke City area, had previously been in a romantic relationship, and that Wells was actively serving as DeHart's caretaker at the time of the shooting, according to reports citing Maryland State Police. That caregiving dynamic adds a painful layer to a case that state police say remains active and ongoing.
Medical Examiner Confirms Homicide Ruling
The Baltimore Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has officially ruled Wells's death a homicide, according to the same report from the Daily Times. The Maryland State Police Homicide Unit and Crime Scene Technicians from the MSP Forensic Sciences Division took over processing evidence at the scene, and investigators have asked anyone with information to call a confidential tip line at 202-953-1903, with callers permitted to remain anonymous.
A historical marker near Dividing Creek references a courthouse site dating to 1694, per the Historical Marker Database. The area is now marked by a homicide investigation that state police say is still unfolding, with the exact sequence of events before the welfare check yet to be detailed publicly.
A Painful Echo of 2021
This isn't the first time the Pocomoke City area has been shaken by a domestic murder-suicide. In September 2016, a Pocomoke City murder-suicide left three members of the Purnell family dead, according to WBOC.
This week's tragedy has drawn attention to the broader issue of murder-suicide. National research has examined murder-suicide incidents and intimate partner violence.
Public safety agencies are urging anyone experiencing domestic strain or mental health distress to seek confidential help around the clock by calling or texting the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. The Maryland State Police investigation into the deaths of Wells and DeHart remains open, and no further details about what led up to the shooting have been released.
