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Highlands Today

Sebring deaths ruled murder-suicide

Deceased believed to be a couple

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By BRAD DICKERSON

Highlands Today

Published: October 30, 2009

Updated: 10/30/2009 05:37 pm

SEBRING - The death investigation that began Thursday morning at 4401 Shamrock St., in northwest Sebring, has now been ruled a murder-suicide by the medical examiner's office.

Rikelle Purcell, 40, died from a gunshot wound reportedly fired by James L. Guy, 53, who then turned the gun on himself, according to Sgt. Darin Hood with the Highlands County Sheriff's Office.

"It is domestic related," Hood said, adding that the weapon was a firearm and that investigators were still trying to find out the motive behind the deaths.

Investigators arrived at the home Thursday at 10:47 a.m. after a friend reported the two did not answer their door when he arrived to go on a planned outing.

By 2:30 p.m., officials with the state medical examiner's office unloaded two stretchers.

One neighbor described Guy as a quiet person who owned his own business, Appliance Hospital.

Sitting in Guy's driveway was a van with the title Appliance Hospital on the side and the words "factory trained in home appliance repair."

The neighbor also said Guy and Purcell were a couple. Another neighbor mentioned that Guy was into martial arts.

In March, Purcell was interviewed by a reporter as she looking for work at Heartland Workforce. She spent 40 minutes viewing job listings on a computer before she left. She had last worked as an office manager for Appliance Hospital, and previously worked in Blairsville, Ga, before she moved here, she said.

Sheriff's office central records has a June 26, 2007 arrest report for Guy. He was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, first offense, which included property damage.

Highlands Today reporter Gary Pinnell contributed to this report.

Highlands Today reporter Brad Dickerson can be reached at (863) 386-5838 or bdickerson@highlandstoday.com

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