ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — James Colley, the St. Johns County man accused of killing his wife and his wife's friend, reportedly began his assault by shooting through sliding glass doors, newly released statements said.
Two of the survivors in the Aug. 27 shooting, Rachel Hendricks and Lamar Douberly, were interviewed by investigators and gave a horrifying account of what happened in the home at 260 Bellagio Drive in the Murabella subdivision near World Golf Village.
According to the survivors' statements, Colley emerged from the rear of the house and began shooting while four people were inside. Among the four were Amanda Colley, Colley's estranged wife, her friend Lindy Dobbins, and Hendricks and Douberly.
The witnesses said Colley, armed with a handgun, gained entry into the home while Dobbins and Hendricks hid in a closet. The statement said that Colley entered the closet and shot Dobbins. Hendricks was able to escape the closet; she ran from the scene and called 911. Douberly also called 911 after escaping through the garage door.
The statement said that Amanda Colley hid in a bathroom while the other two women hid in an interior closet. Hendricks said she blocked the closet door with her body so that James Colley could not get inside the closet; the statement said that James Colley yelled "Where is he?" — indicating that he was looking for Douberly. After Hendricks told Colley that Douberly was not in the closet, Colley shot through the closet door, barely missing Hendricks. The statement said Colley entered the closet and began shooting Dobbins. Hendricks was able to escape.
The statement said Colley called his father, James Sr., and told him that he had just shot his wife and his wife's friend.
That morning, James Sr. had taken the Colley's two children to school and then met James at the courthouse, where he was due for a hearing for violating a restraining order. Colley Sr. said his son left the courthouse feeling fine and and was almost to work when he must have had some sort of correspondence with his estranged wife. According to documents, the elder Colley told police that his son was "furious" after the Aug. 27 court appearance and that he warned his son not to do anything foolish. James Colley's sister called the part of this report inaccurate, saying "My father as well as the people in the courtroom that day agree that my brothers disposition was 'fine.'"
The younger Colley then reportedly returned to the home at 260 Bellagio Drive. The shooting caused the lockdown of three nearby schools as deputies searched for Colley.
Colley was arrested in rural Virginia the same day the murders occurred. He was returned to St. Johns County on Saturday and had his first court appearance Sunday.
A spokesperson at Fanatics has confirmed that Douberly is an employee of Fanatics, as was Amanda Colley. The spokesperson released the following statement:
"As far as any additional statements or comments - out of respect for all involved and the investigation that is currently underway, which we are fully cooperating with, we will not be making any further comments."
Action News spoke to Hendricks' mother Cindy Stalvey by phone Tuesday. She said her daughter is still devastated and traumatized having watched her longtime friend Lindy Dobbins lose her life just inches away.
She declined to discuss specifics of the case because it is ongoing, but said she hopes the case brings awareness to legal issues regarding domestic violence injunctions, saying, "It should have never escalated to this point. Too many innocent lives have been lost. I hope something good can come from this tragic story."
WJAX
