Background: Police tape can be seen around a home in Pembroke Pines, Florida (WPLG/YouTube). Inset top: Joanne Baker (GoFundMe). Inset bottom: John Baker (Pembroke Pines Police Department).
A retired police sergeant was discovered shot to death alongside his wife inside their Florida home, with authorities believing the woman fatally shot her husband before turning the gun on herself.
John Baker, 62, and Joanne Baker, 59, were found dead this week.
Law enforcement said the preliminary investigation indicates that Joanne shot her husband before killing herself and that there is no threat to anyone else, regional NBC affiliate WTVJ reported.
John joined the Pembroke Pines Police Department in 1994, according to the agency, and he worked several jobs over the years. He also helped found the department's Crisis Response Team, "which dedicated itself to assisting first responders during times of tragedy."
He had risen to the title of sergeant, and on Aug. 10, 2019, he was on duty driving a motorcycle "when a car turned in front of his path," police added. He "was left with critical injuries that impacted his speech and movement," but with work, he "regained limited motor skills."
Starting the next month, Joanne posted updates about her husband's progress on a GoFundMe set up for him. She shared his dreams, his developments and his activities. The most recent one came on Feb. 13, 2025, which she ended with photos of her husband and the words, "Looking forward we have a family cruise planned in May, lots of concerts and Spring football."
On Monday, officers with the Broward Sheriff's Office responded to the Bakers' home on the 8300 block of Pine Drive in Pembroke Pines, Florida. John and Joanne Baker were dead inside.
Their deaths occurred about a month after their 40th wedding anniversary, per McClatchy News.
Authorities have stressed that the investigation is still ongoing and the manner of the deaths has yet to be determined.
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