PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — Bay area law enforcement has been faced with back-to-back-to-back murder-suicides involving married couples this week. The rash of unrelated but similar tragedies has turned lives upside down and prompted questions about how to spot relationships in crisis that could possibly lead to this particular outcome.

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Part of what Matthew Mahone said he’ll remember most about his mother is her concern for others.

“She always just made sure other people were happy, good,” said Mahone, 17. “My buddy went through some stuff and he needed a place to stay. My mom reached out and let him stay here. She was always worried about other people.”

Mahone’s mother, Melissa Little, 50, and her husband, Jeffrey Little, 55, were identified by authorities as the couple found dead in a second floor room at Shephard’s Beach Resort in Clearwater Tuesday. Clearwater Police said it appears Jeffrey Little shot and killed Melissa Little, then himself sometime after they checked in on Monday.

“They were going through a rough patch, but I didn’t expect this to happen,” said Mahone.

Three in one week

This is the latest incident identified by law enforcement as a murder/suicide in the Tampa Bay area this week.

On Sunday, James Bennett shot and killed his wife, Silvana Bennett, and her 16-year-old daughter, Andrea Barberena-Rojas in their Bradenton home, according to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. 

And again in Pasco sheriff’s office officials said it was in the early morning hours of Monday that Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Deputy Kirk Keithley fatally shot his wife, Samantha Keithley, before turning the gun on himself. Officials said there had been no previous calls to the home.

Sunrise of Pasco County CEO Kelly Sinn said unfortunately, crimes like these are not uncommon.

“It is less common to have them happen back-to-back like this and in such a small community,” Sinn said.

Red flags

Sunrise offers resources to survivors of domestic violence. Sinn said there are a number of signs that might signal trouble to loved ones of people in abusive relationships.

Those signs include one partner pushing for the relationship to become serious quickly, or not respecting boundaries. Red flags can also involve one person trying to isolate the other from family or friends or intimidating them or making threats.

Some behavior might seem to be the opposite of dangerous, such as excessive flattery that can make an abuser initially seem too good to be true. There may also be accusations of infidelity or other jealous tendencies.

An abuser may also try to control a partner’s finances or monitor their whereabouts.

“If you are spending time with anybody and you see their partner constantly calling them or constantly checking in with them or if the victim says, ‘Let me call and check in with my partner, let them know what I’m doing.’ I think that’s going to be pretty obvious,” said Sinn.

Change a common thought process

Sinn said in general, the community needs to change a common thought process regarding domestic violence.

“I think rather than asking, ‘Why does the victim stay? Why doesn’t this person just leave the relationship?’ we really need to start asking, ‘Why doesn’t the abuser stop?’” she said. “This is going to require a community response, everybody coming together and saying this is not OK. We are not going to tolerate this.”

According to Sinn, that means speaking up when people know of abuse – reporting perpetrators to authorities and being aware of resources in the community in order to offer support to survivors.

As for Mahone, he offered some advice of his own.

“Just tell your mom you love her. Tell your dad you love him. Doesn’t have to be a reason, just, ‘I love you guys. I hope you know that.’”

Sinn said Sunrise and the Salvation Army are both certified domestic violence centers Pasco residents can turn to in times of need. Sunrise’s 24-hour hotline can be reached at: (352) 521-3120.