The Belleview Police Department on Feb. 28 announced the names of the two people whose bodies were found in the backyard of a home one day earlier.
According to authorities, the victim is identified as Kathryn Kirby, 43, and the suspect is Troy McDermitt, 45.
Police officials said Kirby and McDermitt lived at the incident location, a home in the 5800 block of Southeast Babb Road. McDermitt was in the process of moving out.
Police say McDermitt shot Kirby with a 30-06 rifle, then turned the gun on himself. Authorities said Kirby and McDermitt have children, but not with each other.
The incident is classified as a domestic violence murder/suicide.
Other domestic violence cases
The bodies of McDermitt and Kirby were discovered less than 20 feet from each other by law enforcement officials. Police had received a 911 call requesting their response.
Marion County Sheriff’s Office personnel assisted BPD with gathering and collecting evidence from the scene. The investigation is ongoing.
The last domestic violence homicide the Belleview Police Department investigated was in 2017, when officers said 20-year-old Frank Friday shot and killed Sariah Dixon at her apartment complex in the 5900 block of Southeast Front Road. Dixon was 19. Friday, who officials said shot himself, died from his wound at a local hospital.
Since the beginning of the year, there have been other domestic violence homicides in Marion County, according to law enforcement.
On Feb. 10, Ocala Police Department officers said, Ralph Bacon, 38, shot and killed Nancy Bacon, 34, his estranged wife, and the woman’s 4-year-old daughter, Eden Barker-Wickramarachchi, at Marion Springs Condominiums, 3575 SE Fort King St. Officers said Ralph Bacon fled the scene and later shot himself in Georgia.
On Feb. 19, 3-year-old Paisley Brown died at a local hospital. The Marion County Sheriff’s Office has arrested Jeroen Jarrel Coombs, 32, in connection with the child’s death. Coombs lived with the child and the child’s mother in Citra. He was arrested on a charge of aggravated child abuse. He is being held without bail.
Domestic violence figures
Belleview Police Department records indicate that in 2025, officers investigated 46 domestic violence cases. Officers have arrested 31 people and an additional two have outstanding warrants for their arrests, officials said.
In 2026, BPD officers have documented six domestic violence incidents. The number does not the Feb. 27 incident. Officials said they’ve arrested four people, with two cases remain pending.
Local officials said anyone who suspects domestic violence can call CASA Marion at (352) 722-2272.
Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Belleview murder-suicide confirmed; victims identified
Reporting by Austin L. Miller, Ocala Star-Banner / Ocala Star-Banner
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
