Windy Lee Higgins, aged 39, tragically lost her life on February 25, 2021, in Tavares, Florida, in what has been identified as a double-murder-suicide. The incident occurred in the early hours of the morning when Higgins and her partner, James Delgiorno, were asleep in their home. The perpetrator, Joseph B. Mcguirl, who was 47 years old, entered the house through a shattered sliding glass door.
Mcguirl, who had previously been in a romantic relationship with Higgins, could not come to terms with their breakup and her subsequent relationship with Delgiorno. This emotional turmoil led Mcguirl to take the lives of Higgins and Delgiorno before turning the gun on himself.
The Tavares Police Department responded to a wellbeing check call at around 9:15 a.m. after neighbors reported hearing gunshots earlier in the morning. Upon arrival, officers found the rear glass sliding door shattered and discovered the bodies of Higgins and Delgiorno in bed, having been shot while they slept. Mcguirl's body was found on the floor next to Higgins, with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The investigation revealed that Mcguirl had been making suicidal comments via text messages prior to the incident, prompting a missing and endangered person report filed by the Leesburg Police Department.
The motive behind this tragic event was rooted in Mcguirl's inability to accept the end of his relationship with Higgins and her new relationship with Delgiorno. Despite Higgins' attempt to maintain a friendship with Mcguirl after their breakup, his unresolved feelings and jealousy ultimately led to this devastating outcome. The case remains a poignant reminder of the potential consequences of unresolved emotional distress and the importance of seeking help in such situations.
The investigation into the double-murder-suicide was thorough, with the Tavares Police Department working closely with the Leesburg Police Department to piece together the events leading up to the tragedy. Autopsies were performed by the Medical Examiner's office, and the case was classified as a double-murder-suicide based on the evidence collected at the scene. The community of Tavares was left in shock and mourning, grappling with the loss of two lives and the circumstances surrounding their deaths.
