Melanie Margaret Johnston was 32 when she died on July 10, 2015, at the Sheltering Pines Mobile Home Park in San Carlos Park. She lived there with her husband, Jeremiah Charles Johnston, and their four children. On the morning of July 10, Jeremiah allegedly shot Melanie outside their home; she was taken to Gulf Coast Hospital and pronounced dead.

Jeremiah, also 32, had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and the couple had an appointment scheduled that morning to see a doctor. Family members said Jeremiah had struggled with his mental health for years; the Lee County Sheriff’s Office described the incident as isolated and said there was no danger to the community. Melanie’s mother-in-law, Tammy Rawson, assumed responsibility for the couple’s four children after the deaths.

Legal proceedings related to Melanie’s estate involved multiple parties, including Tammy Rawson and SalusCare Inc., a mental health service provider.