A Florida firefighter killed his wife in an apparent murder-suicide just weeks after she opened up online about how his grueling work schedule left him “exhausted” and “never functioning 100% at home.”
St. John’s County Fire Rescue Lt. Shawn Yarbrough, 46, and his wife, financial advisor Andrea Nichole Nahrup Yarbrough, 34, in the bathroom of their St. Augustine home earlier this month, the sheriff’s department said.
Police were called to the couple’s home on June 13 after Andrea’s mother requested a welfare check when she couldn’t reach her.
Andrea’s death has been considered a homicide, while her husband died by suicide, the sheriff’s department added. Both died from gunshot wounds, according to an autopsy report.
About two weeks before their deaths, on May 31, Andrea vented about her husband’s work schedule in a Facebook post and showed the monthly activity logs for his department, which included 3,203 calls for service.
“This is why all of our significant others are exhausted and never functioning 100% at home,” she wrote.
The couple, who had just celebrated their first wedding anniversary, had a blended family of four children.
The slain woman’s mother said Andrea loved her husband’s three sons, who were from a previous relationship as if they were her own. Andrea was the mother of an 11-year-old daughter from a prior relationship.
“She loved those boys and wanted the best for them,” Andrea’s mother, Debbie Churchill, told Fox News Digital. “It’s all very confusing and hard right now. I can’t explain it. I don’t even know how. It’s something that no one can understand unless they’ve been through it.”
Andrea’s younger sister, Olivia Marvin, expressed her shock over the horrifying incident to local outlet Action Jax.
“We are so crushed,” she said. “We thought everything was finally coming together. She was so proud of all her children and what they were doing. She always strived and wanted the best for everyone.”
Marvin remembered her sister as a resilient fighter.
“Andrea meant the world to everyone in our family and everyone she encountered,” Marvin said. “Anyone who knew her knew she’d never give up, no matter how hard things got.”
Yarbrough’s boss, St. Johns County Fire Rescue Chief Sean McGee, also addressed the murder-suicide in a Facebook post.
“The recently reported events were unexpected, shocking, and tragic for all those affected,” he said. “As a department, we are profoundly saddened by the loss of life, recognizing its enduring impact on the families and children of those affected.”
Suicides have long plagued emergency response departments across the country, and more first responders dying from suicide than in the line of duty each year, according to a report from the Ruderman Family Foundation.
Andrea’s family has started a GoFundMe for her daughter, Lily, that has raised over $20,000 as of Monday morning.
“She is a tender eleven years old, with her whole life still ahead of her,” the fundraiser’s organizers wrote. “Lily is suddenly and temporarily without the security of her mom, no health insurance, and, as of now, the family is unsure of any life insurance or benefits she may be entitled to.”
Lily and her dog, Marsh, will be moving in with her grandparents, according to the fundraiser.
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis and live in New York City, you can call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential crisis counseling. If you live outside the five boroughs, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.
