Body found in back yard of Deltona home where husband killed self, deputies say

DELTONA, Fla. — Volusia County deputies said they have found a body in the back yard of a Deltona home where a 75-year-old man killed himself and left behind a note saying he had also killed his wife.

A concerned relative called deputies Tuesday and said he hadn’t heard from the Caulfields for several months, however, received a package in the mail that included the couple’s will, life insurance policy, and other financial and medication information, deputies said.

Inside the package was also a letter from Laurence Caulfield, 75, who said his wife had recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, and that he was struggling to cope physically and emotionally, deputies said.

Deputies went to the Caulfied home on Canterbury Street in Deltona Tuesday night. Laurence Caulfield told them his wife has Alzheimer’s disease and that she had recently moved to Kansas City to live with friends of the family. However, that proved to be not true, deputies said.

While deputies were at the home, they heard a gunshot at 10:27 p.m. and found Caulfield dead in the backyard from a gunshot wound to the head, investigators said.

Deputies said inside the home was a stack of papers and a note from Caulfield that said he killed his ailing wife and buried her in the backyard.

The Volusia County Sheriff's Office confirmed they had found a body in the back yard of the home just before 8:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Investigators had not made a positive identification of the body, but the Sheriff's Office said they had no reason it was not Caulfield's wife in a post on Twitter.

"It's sad, because I've heard they were really good people," said neighbor Gabriel Munguia.

Neighbors said Caulfield was a retired FHP trooper.

Cox Media Group