End Of A Sad Affair

"BARTOW, FL - The dead bodies of a 57-year-old man and his 21-year-old girlfriend were found in an orange grove near the Winter Haven Airport this morning in what Sheriff Grady Judd said has `the appearance of a murder-suicide.`

"Earlier today, sheriff’s officials made a public appeal for information about John `Jack` M. Nicholson and Kristy Lisenby after witnesses reported seeing Nicholson shoot Lisenby Tuesday afternoon.

"According to the Sheriff’s Office, about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nicholson drove through an area near Jarrett Gordon Ford looking for Lisenby. The Ford dealership is located at 3015 Lake Alfred Road.

"Nicholson threatened to kill a friend of Lisenby’s if they didn’t tell him where she was. However, Nicholson drove off without hurting anyone.

"About an hour later, Nicholson returned and this time found Lisenby standing in the roadway.

"Witnesses told detectives they saw Lisenby walk to the vehicle and lean into the passenger window. Witnesses say they saw the driver, later identified as Nicholson, point a gun at Lisenby. Witnesses said they heard a gunshot and saw Lisenby fall to the ground.

"`It took us off guard. We were at the highest advantage point to see (what was happening,)` said Stuart Seifreid, an employee at the Jarrett Gordon dealership. Some witnesses took pictures of Nicholson’s vehicle with cell phone cameras.

"After the gunshot, Nicholson got out of his vehicle, went around it, picked up Lisenby and put her in the passenger seat, telling witnesses he was taking her to the hospital, Judd said.

"Detectives checked area hospitals and no one matching Lisenby’s description had been treated.

"Detectives went to Nicholson’s home at 80 Perch St., in Winter Haven, but could find no one home.

"About 10 a.m. today, a grove worker found Nicholson and Lisenby’s bodies on the ground on either side of Nicholson’s vehicle in an area at Pearce Road and Lakeview Court Northwest near the airport.

"Lisenby has a criminal history. A check of the Polk County Jail Web site shows she was arrested and charged with cocaine possession in March 2007 and again for cocaine possession in August 2008. In April she was in jail for a day for violating probation.

"No criminal history could be found for Nicholson."

From The Ledger...