POCOMOKE, MD – Maryland State Police are investigating the deaths of two people found inside a home in Pocomoke after troopers responded to a welfare check on the evening of Sept. 6.
Authorities said officers discovered 67-year-old Christine Wells inside the residence in the 7500 block of Dividing Creek Road. She was later identified by police. Investigators also found 66-year-old Robert Dehart, who had an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Local emergency medical services pronounced both people dead at the scene.
Welfare check led troopers to the Dividing Creek Road residence
The call came in shortly before 7:30 p.m., when troopers from the Maryland State Police Princess Anne Barrack went to the home for a welfare check. Police have not said what prompted the check, only that it led them to the residence on Dividing Creek Road.
Once inside, troopers found Wells unresponsive and Dehart wounded. The scene quickly became a homicide investigation, with state police bringing in their Homicide Unit to take the lead.
Crime Scene Technicians from the Maryland State Police Forensic Sciences Division also responded to help process and document evidence at the property.
Medical examiner rules Wells’ death a homicide
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore has officially ruled Wells’ death a homicide. That determination means investigators are treating her death as a criminal matter, although police have not released additional details about the circumstances.
Dehart’s death has been described differently. Police said he had an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, and no other injuries or causes of death were disclosed in the briefing.
Authorities have not said whether a weapon was recovered or how long the two people may have been inside the home before they were found.
Police say Wells and Dehart had been in a relationship
Investigators believe Wells and Dehart had previously been in a relationship. Police also said Wells had been serving as Dehart’s caretaker at the time of the deaths.
That relationship and caretaker role are central to the case as investigators try to piece together what happened inside the house. State police have not identified any other people connected to the incident.
No further details about the nature of the pair’s relationship have been released, and investigators have not publicly discussed a possible motive.
Homicide Unit and forensic technicians are reviewing evidence
The Maryland State Police Homicide Unit and forensic technicians spent time at the residence reviewing and processing evidence. That work is part of the effort to build a timeline and determine the events that led to the deaths.
At this stage, police have given only a limited account of what they found. They have confirmed the location, the time of the welfare check, the victims’ names and ages, and the medical examiner’s ruling on Wells.
Investigators have not announced any charges or said whether the case remains open on a criminal or death-investigation track beyond the homicide finding for Wells.
Detectives ask for tips as 988 is offered for crisis help
State police are asking anyone with information about the case to call 202-953-1903. Officials said calls may remain confidential.
They also included a reminder that help is available for anyone struggling with suicidal thoughts or a mental health crisis. The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline can be reached by call or text at 988 at any time, day or night.
The investigation remains active as detectives continue to review evidence and information from the home and anyone who may have knowledge of what happened there.
