We lost our lovely Rachael Renee Kerr, whose promising future was cut short way too soon, in a tragic and unexplainable series of events. On Thursday, January 29, 2026, she and her estranged husband, Loyd Alan Kerr, were brutally murdered in a murder-suicide.
The Bradford County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 hang-up call from a residence at 15265 NE 6th Lane in Starke, Florida, just after 5:15 a.m., which marked the start of the tragedy. Before the connection terminated, dispatchers could hear arguments in the background.
Upon arrival, deputies first found Loyd Alan Kerr, aged 50, deceased from a gunshot wound to the head near the front entrance of the residence. Knowing a woman lived at the home and fearing she was in imminent danger, deputies searched the property. They soon discovered Rachael Renee Kerr, aged 43, unresponsive in the yard with a gunshot wound to her neck. Despite life-saving efforts by a SWAT medic and EMS crews, she was pronounced dead at the scene.
The horrifying incident unfolded with the couple’s two children, aged 9 and 11, inside the home. According to Sheriff Gordon Smith, Rachael had woken up thinking her home was being broken into and managed to call 911. Loyd had entered the home, placed the children into a vehicle outside, and attempted to force Rachael into the vehicle as well.
When she managed to escape, he took the children outside and, after asking them if they wanted to “go to heaven with dad,” took his own life. The terrified children then ran to a neighbor’s house for help.
This violent act was the culmination of an ongoing and well-documented domestic violence situation. Investigators revealed that deputies had been called to the home multiple times before, and Rachael had an active restraining order against Loyd.
Loyd had several pending domestic violence cases and had been released from the Clay County Jail just a short time before the shooting after being held on domestic violence and stalking charges. Major Brad Smith of the Bradford County Sheriff’s Office stated that Rachael “was taking every precaution that she could,” but Loyd was able to get into the house.
The two children were not physically harmed but are now in the care of the Florida Department of Children and Families, with their maternal grandmother being granted immediate custody. The Bradford County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate the incident, processing the scene and noting evidence that suggests Loyd put significant thought into planning the shooting.
This tragedy underscores the deadly reality of domestic violence, even when legal protections like restraining orders are in place. It serves as a devastating reminder of the profound impact such violence has on entire families and communities.