On January 31, 2022, the bodies of 52-year-old Annastacia Merrell and her co-worker, 51-year-old Patrick Tymoch, were discovered in Merrell's home on Bentwood Lane in Fort Walton Beach, FL. The Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office deputies found them during a welfare check. Both victims appeared to have died from gunshot wounds, and the violence was believed to have occurred on Monday, January 31.
Annastacia Merrell, a 52-year-old woman, was identified as one of the victims.
She was found alongside her co-worker, Patrick Tymoch, who was 51 years old. The investigation quickly identified 47-year-old Chad Ankenbrand as a person of interest. Ankenbrand, who was Merrell's estranged boyfriend, was considered armed and dangerous. He was believed to be driving a black Ford Mustang convertible with Florida tag 36BAWX, which was missing its back window and passenger side mirror.
The investigation took a significant turn when Chad Ankenbrand was found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound inside a vehicle in Indiana on February 2, 2022. Ankenbrand's body was discovered in Merrell's 2013 silver Nissan Juke near the Indiana-Illinois state line. Investigators believed he was attempting to flee to Illinois, where he had connections. His missing black Ford Mustang was located at a home east of Crestview, FL, after he had sold it to a resident who later contacted law enforcement upon realizing the vehicle was being sought by the authorities.
The Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office continued to investigate the double homicide to determine all the facts surrounding the deaths of Annastacia Merrell and Patrick Tymoch. The case highlighted the tragic consequences of domestic violence, as neighbors reported witnessing previous violent behavior from Ankenbrand towards Merrell. The investigation aimed to piece together the events leading up to the fatal shootings and to provide justice for the victims.
