It’s kind of a heartbreaking thing to think about how you never really know what’s going on inside your friends’ and loved ones’ intimate relationships. They could be utterly in love and feeling like it’s them against the world, or there could be deep trauma that unearths itself in the most violent of acts. A 40-year-old woman in Florida was discovered shot and killed inside her home after she had failed to show up to work and a coworker requested a welfare check. The medical examiner reported that her husband shot her and then himself in a brutal murder-suicide.
Lorelei Strickland was fatally shot by her husband in their home in a murder-suicide.
According to a news release shared by the Gulf County Sheriff’s Office in Wewahitchka, Florida, about 12:30 p.m. April 6, 2026, dispatchers received a report that an employee at a local business named Lorelei Strickland did not come to work that day. The caller requested that authorities perform a welfare check at her home.
After deputies went to the business, they headed to Strickland’s last known address, per the sheriff’s office’s release. They received no answer at the door and observed no immediate signs of foul play, so they continued their efforts to search other locations.
While deputies returned to her workplace to obtain more information, some friends and family were able to enter Strickland’s home and discovered her and her husband, Jarrott Stickland, dead inside one of the bedrooms, per the sheriff’s office’s release.
There was no forced entry and the medical examiner was able to determine that Jarrott Strickland fatally shot his wife and turned the gun on himself. Both died from gunshot wounds and appeared to have been dead for some time, per the news release.
She left behind two kids and cherished grandchildren.
What makes this situation all the more heartbreaking is that Lorelei Strickland left behind a family who loved her.
According to her obituary, she was a devoted mother, sister, and grandmother who is survived by two adult sons and two cherished grandchildren who were the “light of her life.”
Strickland was said to have “embraced life with warmth, dedication, and a deep appreciation of simple joys,” according to her obituary. She “found solace and pleasure in everyday activities such as walking and reading.” She also had an affinity for Dunkin’ coffee, which was usually by her side during many “quiet mornings.”
Her coworkers are devastated by her death.
They set up a GoFundMe page to help “support their family as they navigate this heartbreaking loss.”
Kylee Easter, who set up the GoFundMe page, shared, “She was more than just a coworker—she was family. A light in our workplace, a friend in our community, and a deeply loved member of her family. Her kindness, laughter, and genuine spirit touched everyone she met, and her absence has left a space that can never truly be filled.”
When something like this happens to a beloved mother, grandmother, and a cherished coworker who had so much more life to live, it’s hard to imagine the unthinkable sadness her loved ones are experiencing. Our thoughts go out to them all at this time.
Note: If you or any of your loved ones are struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can always reach out to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling 988. They are available 24/7 by phone or online chat.
