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LORI STEINECK fStaff Writer ICHIPLEY — The elderly husband of a Washington County woman who disappeared under suspicious circumstances Aug. 27 shot himself to death Tuesday night, according to sheriff’s deputies.Washington County Sheriff Fred Peel confirmed to The News Herald Wednesday that 70-year-old R. Beryl Kirkland, of 816 South Blvd. in west Chipley, was a suspect in the disappearance of Margaret Rich Kirkland, 34, of the same address.“We’re trying, at this point, to know what happened,” Peel said. “Our investigation into her disappearance is still full-speed. We want to know what happened to Margaret Kirkland.”R. Beryl Kirkland died as the result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at 6:40 p.m. Tuesday across the street from the family-owned Kirkland Motor Co., Peel said.Dr. William Sybers, medical examiner for the 14th Judicial Circuit, said Kirkland’s injury was a self-inflicted, single gunshot wound from a shotgun to his left chest. Kirkland was dead on the scene at 210 Kirkland Road.“Based on earlier interviews conducted by the Washington County Sheriff’s Department with Mr. Kirkland and his acquaintances, he had displayed some recent depression,” a news release from Peel’s office stated.The Kirklands had been in the process of a divorce when the death and disappearance occurred, ac-I^The Kirklands had been in the process of a divorce when the death and disappearance occurred.cording to records on file at the Washington County Courthouse.The records state that Mrs. Kirkland had filed for a divorce on June 29. Records state that the marriage was “irretrievably broken” and that Mrs. Kirkland complained her husband “annoyed, harassed and verbally abused” her.At a hearing on July 17, both Kirklands were placed under a restraining order. Mrs. Kirkland was permitted to remain in their home.No final hearing had been held, and a divorce had not yet been granted.Meanwhile, the investigation into the disappearance of Kirkland’s wife of nearly 20 years is continuing. She was last seen at 11 p.m. Aug. 27 in her home.Peel said his department was checking her residence and car as “possible crime scenes” when her Toyota Supra was found at an 1-10 rest area near Tallahassee Aug. 29.On the same day, her husband filed papers in the Washington County Courthouse claiming that a $5,700 certificate that had been in her name and the name of their deceased daughter actually belonged to him.
Newspaper Details
Panama City News Herald
Panama City, Florida, US
Thu, Sep 06, 1990
Page 17
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
FL, USA 29 Jun 2020
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