Man charged with murder in shooting deaths of Pompano Beach woman and her daughter, BSO says

A 64-year-old man has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the shooting deaths of a Lauderdale-by-the-Sea town employee and her adult daughter outside their Pompano Beach home Thursday night, the Broward Sheriff's Office said.

Deputies identified the victims Friday as Suzanne Courtade, 66, and her daughter, Meghan Courtade, 23. Both were found shot on the front lawn of a home in the 1500 block of Southwest Fifth Avenue on Thursday evening, Nov. 12, and died at the scene. David Keith Thornton, 64, was detained there, questioned and later arrested, according to the sheriff's office. Neighbors and the arrest report describe Thornton as Suzanne Courtade's longtime live-in boyfriend.

Thornton is charged with two counts of first-degree premeditated murder, CBS News Miami reported. He declined to speak with detectives and was being held without bond at the Broward County Main Jail in Fort Lauderdale, according to the station's review of the arrest report. He has not entered a plea, and the accusations against him have not been proven in court.

What deputies found

Deputies were called to the dead-end residential street shortly after 7:20 p.m., a sheriff's office spokesperson told WSVN 7News. Both victims were outside the residence when deputies arrived, and that is where they were pronounced dead, the spokesperson said.

According to the probable cause affidavit as described by CBS News Miami, Suzanne Courtade had suffered an apparent gunshot wound to the head. Pompano Beach Fire Rescue crews tried to save Meghan Courtade, who had multiple gunshot wounds to her torso and cheek, but she was pronounced dead at 7:42 p.m.

During a protective sweep and search of the property, detectives found multiple firearms, including a long gun with an empty magazine and a loaded handgun on a small table on the front porch, the report says. Investigators said shell casings from the long gun were found near Thornton's van and matching unspent ammunition was found inside the main bedroom. Detectives also noted two scratches on Thornton's cheek, which were swabbed for DNA evidence, according to the report.

The 911 calls

The arrest report lays out the sheriff's office account of the final minutes. The first 911 call came from Suzanne Courtade, who told dispatchers her daughter had been shot with what she initially believed was a pellet gun and was unconscious, according to the report as quoted by WPLG Local 10 and CBS News Miami.

On the recording, investigators wrote, she could be heard calling to a neighbor who is a nurse for help. She was then heard yelling for "Dave" to put the gun down, followed by loud screaming and multiple gunshots, according to the report. Dispatchers received four more 911 calls reporting gunfire in the neighborhood, CBS News Miami reported.

The next-door neighbor told investigators she heard what sounded like fireworks, then a loud knock on her door. It was Suzanne Courtade asking for help and saying her daughter was unconscious and not breathing on the front lawn, the report says. The neighbor ran out to help. According to the report, Thornton approached the two women holding a dark object the neighbor believed was a gun and told her the matter had nothing to do with her and to go inside. As she ran back to her front door, she heard several more gunshots and called 911.

A second neighbor who lives across the street told investigators the neighbor stepped outside after hearing gunfire and saw Thornton standing over both victims holding a dark object, CBS News Miami reported.

As deputies tried to revive the women, Thornton walked out of the home with his hands raised, said he was unarmed and told deputies that the guns were unloaded in front of the house, according to the report. He later invoked his right to remain silent, deputies said.

Who the victims were

Suzanne Courtade, known to friends and coworkers as Sue, worked in human resources for the town of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, town officials confirmed. WSVN reported she was the town's human resources manager.

Lauderdale-by-the-Sea Mayor Edmund Malkoon said in a statement that he was heartbroken by the loss of Sue Courtade and her daughter. He described her as a truly wonderful person whose kindness, warmth and dedication touched many lives, and said she was more than a valued member of the town family. Malkoon called the killings "a senseless tragedy" and said she would be "deeply missed."

A longtime coworker told CBS News Miami that mother and daughter shared an exceptionally close bond, lived together at the Pompano Beach home and did almost everything together, from going to the movies to simply spending time with one another. A friend told Local 10 she had seen no warning signs before the shooting.

A shaken neighborhood

By Friday, neighbors had placed flowers and candles where the women were found. Neighbor Douglas Newton told WSVN he had known the family for years and that Suzanne Courtade had lived on the street for at least 25 years. He described her to Local 10 as a caring person who would always help others and said the family never caused any trouble.

Because the street is a dead end, Newton told WSVN, everybody knows everybody. Another neighbor told the station she heard the shots without knowing what they were until police arrived, and called seeing the two bodies in the street deeply upsetting.

According to the arrest report, a next-door neighbor told investigators the three had lived together as a family for nearly two decades. Newton told WSVN that Thornton lived at the home, though accounts differed on whether Meghan Courtade lived there or was visiting at the time. The sheriff's office has not publicly described a motive, and as of Friday authorities had not said what led up to the shooting.

Domestic violence resources

Investigators have not characterized the case beyond the murder charges. Floridians who are experiencing abuse or are worried about someone in their household can reach the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.

What's next

Thornton was expected to make his first appearance before a Broward County judge on Saturday, Nov. 14, WSVN reported. A first-degree murder charge in Florida is a capital felony, and defendants charged with it are often held without bond pending a hearing on the evidence. Prosecutors with the Broward State Attorney's Office will decide whether to formally file the charges and in what form.

The Broward Sheriff's Office investigation is continuing. Thornton is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.