A Kentucky couple tossed a man off the balcony of their home and now face murder charges, cops say.
Shawn Durbin, 39, and his wife Nancy, 36, were both arrested after the alleged incident. Shawn was also charged with resisting arrest and for a third-degree assault on a police officer, according to Law & Crime.
The November 13 incident happened when the Durbins’ neighbor, Bobby Pennington, 62, was visiting their apartment. It is unclear why he was at their residence.
At some point during the visit, a fight broke out between the couple and Pennington. That fight ended with the couple allegedly shoving Pennington off their second-story balcony, which was approximately 12 feet from the ground, according to the Elizabethtown Police Department. Authorities told WLKY that Pennington fell and hit pavement.
Video taken by the broadcaster shows that there was a metal railing on the balcony, suggesting it is unlikely Pennington’s fall was a misstep or an accident.
A bystander who found Pennington called the police and reported that a man had suffered cardiac arrest, according to the report. Authorities arrived at the scene and found the bystander providing CPR to Pennington. The bystander reportedly told police that she saw the couple throw the man from the balcony.
Pennington was rushed to the hospital, and X-rays showed that he had suffered a broken neck and ribs, according to WLKY.
Police arrested the Durbins and initially charged them with assault, but after Pennington died from his injuries, the assault charges were upgraded to murder.
“It’s disgusting, it’s despicable. Again, all indications are that he did nothing to deserve this,” Elizabethtown Police Department spokesman Chris Denham told the outlet.
Denham said that suspects have denied any involvement with Pennington’s death.
“There’s absolutely no ownership; it speaks volumes to the character of them,” he said. “Best reports we can come up with are that Mr. Pennington didn’t bother anyone and was thrown off of almost a 12-foot balcony and ended his life.”
Lisa King, who lives at the apartment complex, told WLKY that Pennington used to âbicycle around the neighborhoodâ and âwaved at everybody.â
âAnd it’s just a horrible thing that happened to him,” she told the broadcaster. “Why did you do it? Why would you do that to somebody? That’s horrible.”
An obituary for Pennington described him as a “very generous man” who “loved to ride his bike and give bikes to underprivileged children.”
The Durbins are currently being detained in the Hardin County Detention Center on a $500,000 bail. Their first court date is scheduled for December 9.
