Medical Examiner: Atkins death not suicide

District 23 Medical Examiner, Dr. Predag Bulic has released his preliminary findings following the completion of his post-mortem investigation of the body of say 59 year-old Ponte Vedra Beach resident, Daryl L. Atkins.

“The cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head,” Bulic told investigators. “The wound was not self-inflicted.”

Three St Johns County deputies returned fire after they were fired upon by Atkins from inside The Fountains condominium where he was staying. There were no other occupants reported inside Atkins’ unit, however, occupants in neighboring condominium units were evacuated to safety by the responding deputy sheriffs.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has responded to the crime scene and is continuing their investigation into the officer involved shooting.

The Office of District 23 Medical Examiner has not yet concluded their investigation.

Deputy David Rosado, Corporal Paul Clark, and Sergeant David Tarbert are on administrative leave until the investigation is complete, in accordance with standard agency policy.

Sergeant Charles E. Mulligan told Historic City News this evening that the Sheriff’s Office “had no previous contacts with Atkins”. Mulligan went on to say that he understood that Atkins had just moved here.

A Historic City News investigator was unable to locate any record that Atkins held a Florida driver’s license, was a St Johns County voter, property owner, taxpayer, the subject of any local civil or criminal action, or been in custody by the Florida Department of Corrections when we searched today.

It has been inferred, however, that law enforcement may have learned additional information concerning Atkins’ past through sources that cannot be revealed at this time.

Community Affairs Corporal Catherine Payne told our reporters that she was unable to release the exact address where Atkins was living — as far as she knew tonight, the location was still considered an active crime scene. When asked if she knew where Atkins moved from, she said she did not. When asked where the agency contacted the “next of kin”, she said that she believes Atkins’ family saw some of the media reporting and contacted the Sheriff’s Office, not the other way around.

Photo credits: © 2012 Historic City News staff photographer