Local News

Police: children witness mother's murder

Posted: 05/06/11 at 6:45 pm EDT
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NORTH MIAMI, Fla. (WSVN) -- A South Florida man accused of shooting and killing his wife is in the hospital after shooting himself, and, police said, two of the victim's children witnessed her murder.

North Miami Police responded to the scene of the murder, which occurred inside a North Miami home Thursday night.

According to police, 31-year-old Tiffany Davis and her 56-year-old husband, Wensley Lindsay, were involved in a verbal argument in front of Davis' three children, ages 13, 11 and 4.

When Davis' 13-year-old daughter ran to a neighbor's house to call 911, she heard gunshots inside her home. After the shots were fired, Davis' 4-year-old and 11-year-old children ran outside of the house.

Davis was reportedly shot several times by her husband. She died on the scene. Major Neil Cuevas of the North Miami Police Department said, "Well, you can just imagine if you're sitting there watching one of your parents shoot and kill the other parent, what you would be going through emotionally and psychologically."

Lindsay, who is the father of at least one of the children, had a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. He was transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital in critical condition. "From the injuries that I observed, anyway," Cuevas said, "it was very surprising that he was able to walk out of that house and stand up, actually."

All three children are currently in the custody of the Department of Children and Families. They are currently staying in a shelter. Their future depends upon Miami-Dade County Judge Lisa Walsh. "I'm going to order supervised visitation to take place immediately," said Walsh.

On Friday, two of Davis' sisters appeared before a judge in juvenile court in hopes of gaining custody of the victim's three children. "If they don't get placed with her, there is no place for them to go," one sister said.

Both sisters will undergo a home study to ensure that the children will be placed in a safe, loving home. DCF hoped to complete the home studies on Friday.

Lindsay remains at JMH in critical condition.

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