NEWS ALERT: Questions Surround McLemore Death

BY KELLI PEACOCK DUNN
News Editor

A report released Friday morning on the death of Blountstown Middle School Coach Tranum McLemore leaves many questions that may not be answered for several weeks.

According to the Liberty County Sheriff's Office (LCSO), McLemore sustained gunshot "wounds" but the agency would not confirm how many or the location of the wounds until the autopsy report has been completed. The report from LCSO Sheriff Donnie Conyers reads as follows:

"At approximately 9:15 p.m. on April 4, 2012, Mrs. Winter McLemore of Bristol, Florida, came to the Sheriff's Office to report an incident of domestic violence. Personnel at the dispatch office reported that Mrs. McLemore showed signs of having been in a struggle. Deputies were dispatched to the home located at 14222 NW Hoecake Road in Bristol.

"After arriving at the residence, deputies entered the home and discovered Mr. Tranum McLemore dead on the floor of the bedroom. Laying under the left leg of Mr. McLemore was a Ruger 9MM semi-automatic pistol.

"Sheriff Conyers requested Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) to assist in the investigation with their crime scene processing unit. The crime scene investigator arrived at the home at approximately 11:00 p.m. Initial findings of the investigation suggested that Mr. McLemore had shot himself after Mrs. McLemore had fled the home. A final report may take up to 8 weeks to complete.

"After the investigation at the home was completed, the body was transported to the Medical Examiner's Office in Tallahassee, Florida, where an autopsy was performed. Preliminary conclusions of the autopsy indicate that the wounds to the body of the deceased were consistent with self-inflicted wounds. A final report will take 6-8 weeks to complete."

Sheriff Conyers concluded the report by stating, "Domestic violence is a terrible thing to be inflicted upon a family. For that reason, my office has been very aggressive in dealing with domestic violence cases and we will continue to be aggressive in such cases. My heart goes out to the families involved in this case and to their three children."