A Florida doctor is behind bars after fatally choking her realtor sister to death in a seemingly random attack.
The shocking murder shook the city of St. Petersburg, with grief felt throughout the community. Police say that on Tuesday afternoon, they were summoned to the home in the 600 block of Newton Avenue South shared by 39-year-old physician Charee Howard and her sister, 54-year-old real estate agent Sherry Lynn Howard. Charee had called 911 just moments earlier to report that she’d just murdered her sister. As officers entered the home, they found Sherry dead on the floor with injuries consistent with being choked to death.
The women’s aunt, Debborah Howard, said her nieces were “two peas in a pod.” She called them “good nieces” and admitted she was unsure what triggered this attack. Local state House Rep. Michele Rayner-Goolsby of St. Petersburg penned a touching tribute to Sherry on Facebook, calling her “a dear friend, sister, mentor and just a tremendous human.”
No one who knew the family anticipated such a violent encounter. Both women were well respected in St. Petersburg. Sherry worked for the realty group Keller Williams before becoming an independent real estate consultant. Charee is a licensed osteopathic physician in Florida. Both ladies attended city council meetings and lent themselves to various causes in the city. Charee is also the owner and chief executive officer of a company called On the Go D.O. Sherry was described as a mother figure to Charee after their parents passed away. Their brother Michael Hobb said Charee moved in with Sherry to help her since she began having heart problems. He described the women as being “like twins” and didn’t understand what went wrong but offered some insight into the possible mindset of Charee.
“They say she hadn’t slept for three or four days and started hallucinating whatever it is,” Hobbs told reporters. “She needs more attention than just being in jail.”
Charee is now in the Pinellas County Jail, charged with second-degree murder. A judge has denied her bail.
