On a summer evening in Milton, Kentucky, the life of 16-year-old Carlin Sarah Davis was tragically cut short in an act of violence stemming from a soured romance. On July 20, 2014, Carlin was shot and killed by 48-year-old Robert Harmon, the recent ex-boyfriend of her aunt, Nikki Davis. The tragic event unfolded in the home on Gariott Court that Harmon had shared with Nikki Davis and where Carlin had been staying for several months.
The relationship between Harmon and Nikki Davis, which
had lasted for about three years, had recently ended, and Nikki had moved out of their shared home. The situation escalated when an argument erupted between the former couple. In a fit of rage, Harmon turned a gun on both Nikki and her niece, Carlin. Carlin sustained a fatal gunshot wound and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Nikki Davis was also shot, suffering two gunshot wounds to her face. Despite her serious injuries, she was conscious and able to speak with police when they arrived. She was transported to the University of Louisville hospital and was expected to survive. After shooting both his ex-girlfriend and her niece, Robert Harmon then turned the gun on himself, taking his own life.
Kentucky State Police investigated the incident as a murder-suicide. Authorities indicated that they had no prior record of domestic violence calls to the residence. The sudden and violent nature of the events left the quiet cul-de-sac neighborhood in shock. At the time of the shooting, two other juveniles were present in the home, upstairs and unharmed, and one of them made the call to 911.
