WALDORF, Md. — Neighbors in Waldorf, Maryland are shocked after learning that a DC police officer that lived on their street was allegedly shot and killed by his wife Friday evening.
Preliminary information suggests that 41-year-old Christina Francis shot and killed her husband, 50-year-old Timothy Francis, and then shot herself, according to the Charles County Sheriff's Office in a statement to WUSA9.
DC officials confirmed that Francis served with the Metropolitan Police Department (DC Police) for 20 years, most recently as a detective on the Homicide Unit's Natural Squad.
Delancey Praylow III, who lives a few houses down said he had just seen Christina that afternoon as he was working on his car brakes in the driveway.
“She had just walked past me walking her dog ... and an hour and a half later, we heard the police sirens," he said.
Charles County officials said they responded to the call around 6 p.m. on the 3300 block of Marylea Court after Christina's father tried to contact her and Timothy to no avail. Detectives said he then went to the house to check on them and found their bodies.
“It’s sad because it feels like one of your own family members because we were all tight like that," Praylow said.
In fact, both Praylow and his neighbor Demetrius Wilson said they had all hung out with the Francis family on a neighbor's lawn a few weeks ago.
“Good folks," Praylow said. "She just shared a piece of cake with me at the gathering, and she was real nice."
They said the couple seemed happy.
“You never know what people go through," Wilson said.
Wilson, who lives two houses down from the Francis family, said he first met detective Francis when he moved to the neighborhood about two years ago. He said he saw him sitting on his lawn playing Gogo music and went over to introduce himself.
“I’ve known him just two years, and I’ll miss him," Wilson said. "Every time I turn that corner on Friday, I’ll look over and just imagine him playing his music.”
Wilson said he felt a special kinship with Det. Francis, because he too serves the country and his community as a military officer.
“Knew he was a family man," he said. "He loved his kids. And he loved life.”
DC Police Chief Peter Newsham released a statement Saturday, saying:
“Mourning the loss of our colleague and friend is extremely difficult. Detective Francis spent two decades protecting the community from violence, and to learn that he was the victim of a homicide is heartbreaking.”
As they deal with the loss, Wilson said he hopes the community can continue to come together to comfort and support each other and the family.