Spring Hill doctor and wife found dead
SPRING HILL –
The Hernando County Sheriff’s Office reported Sunday that a local doctor and his wife were found dead inside their Lake in the Woods home in what appears to be a murder-suicide.
The bodies of Dr. Robert Blackburn, 55, and his wife, Sarah Blackburn, 40, were discovered in the master bedroom, said Sgt. Donna Black, a sheriff’s spokeswoman.
Dr. Blackburn had called a family friend to respond shortly after 1 p.m., deputies said.
The friend arrived at 6492 Laurel Oaks Drive minutes later. Dr. Blackburn showed he had suffered a stab wound, according to a media release.
He told his friend to leave and went back inside the house, deputies said.
The friend called 911 and when authorities arrived, the two were found dead, according to the sheriff’s office.
Black would not confirm whether a gun was involved, but did say preliminary information indicated it was a murder-suicide.
A family friend told Hernando Today the couple have two children. Neither was at the house at the time of the incident, Black said.
Lake in the Woods is a private neighborhood with a guarded gate at the entrance. Media were not allowed access.
Dennis Wilfong was a close, personal friend of Dr. Blackburn’s. He said he talked with him as recently as Friday.
“He was such a likeable guy,” Wilfong said. “He was just a great person to be around. I can’t picture anything like this happening to him … He was a big-hearted guy.”
Last year, Dr. Blackburn was appointed as president of the Florida Osteopath Medical Association.
He is the medical advisor for the Hernando County Jail and is the medical director for Hernando County Fire Rescue and Spring Hill Fire Rescue.
Amy Brosnan is the chairwoman for the Spring Hill Fire Rescue District Board of Fire Commissioners. She and others were “shocked” at the news, she said.
“This is so heart-wrenching, especially for their children,” she said. “We’re mourning this loss.”
Wilfong and Brosnan both said local firefighters and paramedics were especially fond of Dr. Blackburn.
“He was very important to our fire department,” Brosnan said. “It’s so sad when you lose someone who is so involved in the community.”
Wilfong said his friend was especially compassionate about the patients he treated at the jail. He worked hard to make sure they had the best care available.
“That wasn’t just a job to him,” Wilfong said. “He had passion for it. He got deeply involved in things like that.”
Bob Kanner served on the Spring Hill fire board during the early part of the last decade, but he met the doctor about 20 years ago, soon after he and his wife found a home in Hernando County.
He said his wife was diagnosed with ovarian cancer after they moved. One of Kanner’s friends suggested he get in touch with Dr. Blackburn.
Kanner called and the two talked for more than four hours, he said.
“He made recommendations on what to do, where to go and who to see,” Kanner said. “We found out she didn’t have cancer. It was all because of him. I was amazed. He didn’t know me from a hole in the wall.”
“After she came home from the doctor’s, he came to see her,” he continued. “He checked on her everyday until she got back on her feet.”
The two struck a close friendship from that moment forward, Kanner said. They talked almost daily. They last spoke Saturday and had made plans to get together the following weekend to exchange Christmas gifts.
Kanner said he detected no tension in his friend’s marriage.
“They seemed like a couple made in heaven,” he said. “They were very happy. They had a beautiful home. They had two beautiful children.
“I can’t tell you why this happened,” Kanner continued. “For the life of me, I can’t tell you. I never found a mean bone in his body. I’m still thinking I’m going to wake up tomorrow and think this was a bad dream.”
Check back with Hernando Today for updates.
Reporter Tony Holt can be reached at 352-544-5283 or [email protected]
