According to the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office (SJSO), the Medical Examiner's Office has concluded that the deaths of the two individuals found in their home in Ponte Vedra on Saturday have been ruled a murder-suicide.
Per an email from SJSO spokesman Chuck Mulligan on Monday, the two deceased individuals have been identified as Lynn Michele Bender, 53, of Ponte Vedra, and Simon Patrick Hanley, 60, of Ponte Vedra. According to Mulligan, the cause of death of Bender was ruled a homicide, and the manner of death was by gunshot wound. SJSO said Hanley died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Bender and Hanley were found dead on Saturday in their house off Southern Oak Drive in Nocatee’s Twenty Mile neighborhood. A Facebook post from SJSO stated that two individuals came to the residence around noon on Saturday to check on the residents because they had been unable to contact them. When they arrived at the home, they discovered two people deceased inside.
The Recorder will continue to monitor this story and provide updates as they become available.
