Elderly couple found murdered inside their Martin County home

The Martin County Sheriff’s Office, headquartered in Stuart, Florida, is investigating the double murder of an elderly couple who lived in the quiet residential Rocky Point community of Port Salerno, which is located near Stuart.

A friend of the couple discovered the bodies of 81-year old Don Smith and his 80-year old wife Lorraine, inside their home located in the 5500 block of SE Hull Street on the morning of August 28.

A friend of the couple said they had not heard from them. Around 8:50 a.m., the friend went to the home, found the victims’ bodies and called 911. Deputies arrived and said they found the Smiths’ bodies in a living room with clear signs of trauma. ~ WPTV

It is unclear when the double homicide occurred; but detectives say the victims died from traumatic injury. The Smith’s personal vehicle was located about five miles from the murder scene, parked at the intersection of Jefferson Street and Bedford Street in Golden Gate. It is a 2007, 4-door Lincoln, silver in color.

If you have seen this vehicle in the Golden Gate area within the past two days, please call the Martin County Sheriff’s Office at (772) 220-7170.

Martin County Sheriff William Snyder said that at this time there is still no known motive for the murders. Snyder also added:

“We don’t have a definitive suspect. There’s just so many unanswered questions so if your question is, ‘Should people in this neighborhood take a higher degree of care for their personal safety?’ I would say absolutely, ‘Yes.’”
Neighbors tell WPBF 25 News they are in shock that this happened in their neighborhood. They also say the Smiths were “very friendly.”

As of this writing, homicide detectives and forensic investigators are still processing the scene.