Florida pastor and wife shot dead one week after marrying

Explore More

A husband and wife from Florida were gunned down in their home Saturday — just one week after tying the knot, according to reports.

The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said it had arrested a suspect, Sony Josaphat, in connection with the killings in West Palm Beach.

The names of the victims were not released after shocked relatives invoked a Florida law that bars identifying victims of crime.

“She has never been as happy as she was now,” a relative said of the bride, telling WPTV she and her husband had just married the prior Saturday, which was also the bride’s birthday.

A wedding picture of the couple shows the female victim, a longstanding nurse practitioner, smiling widely next to her new pastor husband.

The victims, who regularly attended a local church, were both originally from Haiti, the woman’s sister said.

The victims were married just last week. Family Handout
Sony Josaphat was charged with the killings. Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office

Three of the wife’s children were inside the home when Josaphat is said to have gunned her and her spouse down.

One of her adult children witnessed the shootings, according to reports.

Neighbors in the normally quiet community said they heard loud bangs but thought the couple were working on their home.

Neighbors heard loud bangs from the home before police arrived. WPTV

Cops were called and found both bodies with multiple gunshot wounds.

Homicide detectives quickly identified Josaphat as a suspect in the case and executed a search warrant at a home on the same block.

Josaphat was taken into custody after a brief interview inside the residence.

Police have not yet released a motive for the slayings.

Josaphat is facing two counts of first-degree murder and was ordered held without bond. He is slated to appear in court again early next month.

ncG1vNJzZmimqaW8tMCNnKamZ2Jlf3R7kGtmamlfo7K4v46fo6iqmZmubrzArKuoql2Wu6V51qKdnmWjnby1ecOemJ1ln6OybsPEnqJmmZapsrN5zJqpq7GZo7Rw