HILLIARD, Fla. — August 7, 2025 — Authorities in Nassau County, Florida, have identified the three women killed in a horrific murder-suicide late last month as a mother, her own mother, and her sister — leaving behind a 5-year-old girl who miraculously escaped the bloodshed and alerted neighbors.
The victims were named as Marissa Leara Rowell, 32, her mother Sandra Gayle Fogarty, 71, and her sister Alisha Lael Fogarty, 33. According to the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office, the tragedy unfolded on the evening of Thursday, July 24, inside a residence on West 12th Avenue in the small community of Hilliard, just after 8 p.m.
Investigators say the suspected gunman, Christopher Bobby Rowell, 34 — believed to have been in a domestic relationship with Marissa — fatally shot all three women before turning the gun on himself. He was transported to a local hospital with a self-inflicted gunshot wound but later died.
Sheriff Bill Leeper recounted the grim scene during a press conference the following day. Deputies arrived to find one victim lying in a pool of blood between the living and dining rooms, another in a hallway bathroom, and a third in a bedroom near the bathroom. A SKS-style assault rifle was found beside the suspect.
“It appears the shooter first shot the female in the living room/dining room area, then shot the female in the bathroom, and then shot the female in the bedroom,” Leeper said. “He eventually returned to the living room where he shot himself in the head.”
Remarkably, Marissa’s young daughter was in the back of the house when the gunfire began. After hearing the first shots, she walked down the hallway and saw one of the victims on the floor. According to investigators, another woman pulled her into a bathroom in an attempt to shield her, but that woman was then shot, and the child was struck by blood spatter. The girl fled the home and ran to a neighbor’s house for help.
Family members described the victims as deeply loving women devoted to each other and to the young girl who is now left without them. A GoFundMe campaign states: “We lost a devoted mother, a loving first-time grandmother who treasured her granddaughter, and a devoted aunt who adored her niece. This child now faces a future without the warmth and loving support of her family.”
The fundraiser is seeking donations to cover cremation expenses and to provide for Marissa’s daughter as she recovers from the emotional trauma of the attack.
Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances that led to the deadly violence.