A Florida woman publicly chronicled her police officer husband’s recovery from an on-duty crash before she killed him and herself in an apparent murder-suicide.
Joanne Baker and her husband, John Baker, were found dead at their home in Pembroke Pines around 7 a.m. on Monday, September 21. Following a preliminary investigation, authorities determined that Joanne, 59, shot John, 62, before she died by suicide.
John previously worked as a sergeant with the Pembroke Pines Police Department but retired after he was involved in a near-fatal on-duty motorcycle crash in 2019.
“Following the crash, Sergeant Baker was left with critical injuries that impacted his speech and movement,” the Pembroke Pines Police Department wrote on Facebook. “Through perseverance and the help of his family and medical team, Sergeant Baker regained limited motor skills. Despite his accident, Sergeant Baker stayed active in supporting the community. He participated in several charity races through Special Compass, a local non-profit organization that assists children and families with disabilities, as well as the Special Olympics Torch Run.”
Joanne helped John after the crash and even chronicled his recovery in a Facebook group called “John’s Prayer Army” and on a GoFundMe page, according to the Miami Herald.
“He is always expressing his gratitude to me and our care aides for all that we do for him each day, and he regularly apologizes to me for the accident,” Joanne wrote on the GoFundMe, per the outlet. “I always reassure him he’s not to blame, but I do like knowing he understands our situation and acknowledges my struggles.”
“I know it’s not my fault, but I’m sorry,” John said, per the GoFundMe page.
John served with the department for nearly 28 years, where he held several roles, including a road patrol officer, a field training officer, a master patrol officer, a public information officer, a traffic homicide investigator and a traffic unit sergeant.
He was also a founding member of the department’s crisis response team, which helped first responders dealing with tragedies.
“Being passionate about traffic safety, he worked regularly with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and would often volunteer at their events,” the department wrote in the Facebook post.
The couple is survived by their three kids, and the police department remembered John as a “dedicated father.”
“Even with the challenges he faced from his work-related injury, his joyful and positive personality always persisted,” the department added.
Authorities have not yet shared whether they believe there was a motive in the apparent murder-suicide.
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