Hialeah, FL – In a heartbreaking incident that has left the Hialeah community in shock, 28-year-old Clifford Renard Murray III and 27-year-old Rosemary Gutierrez have been identified by police as the victims of an apparent murder-suicide. Their 3-year-old son was found unharmed but left alone in their apartment.
Authorities reported that Clifford fatally shot Rosemary before taking his own life. The couple’s bodies were discovered after a wellness check was requested by Rosemary’s sister, who had not heard from her for several days. Upon arriving at the residence on 605 West 68th Street, police were forced to break in after hearing the young boy inside but receiving no response at the door. Inside, they found the bodies of Clifford and Rosemary. The child, although scared, was physically unharmed and was immediately taken to a local hospital for a check-up.
Lieutenant Eddie Rodriguez of the Hialeah Police Department stated, “When officers arrived, we had to force our way into the apartment, and once inside, we discovered a deceased male and female. Fortunately, this 3-year-old child was not injured.”
Neighbors reported hearing gunshots late Friday night into Saturday morning, but no one reported the incident to the authorities at the time. Jennifer Gutierrez, a concerned community member, expressed her distress on Facebook, saying, “So the neighbor hears several gunshots Friday night and doesn’t bother to report it to the police? This little boy has been in that house with his deceased parents for 3 days because nobody bothered to report they heard gunshots.”
The property manager described the family as good tenants, with no previous history of disputes or police involvement. Surveillance footage from a neighbor’s camera captured the family’s movements on the day they were last seen alive, showing no signs of trouble.
Following the incident, the Department of Children and Families has taken custody of the child. Authorities are working to determine who will assume guardianship as they continue to investigate the circumstances leading to this tragic event.
The Hialeah community is now grappling with grief and unanswered questions, trying to understand the events that led to such a devastating outcome.