Beloved Charlotte County man killed outside home, investigation ongoing

A man loved by his peers and his community was taken away from them in the middle of the night at his own home.

Sixty-three-year-old Denis Patrick Carmody, also known as “Doc”, was shot and killed outside of his Nasturtium Drive home in Charlotte County early Monday morning.

His home was still an active scene Wednesday afternoon, as deputies were seen going in and out of his home in search of any clues that might point them to his killer.

Charlotte County deputies have told WINK News that a person of interest has already been arrested on unrelated charges.

WINK News reporter Amy Galo went to the home and examined the 911 calls from the night of the murder, shared by the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office.

The man who called 911 was calm, even though what had just unfolded near him was anything but.

He described the moment he heard gunfire, something no neighbor ever wants to hear: “I was sitting on my lanai about two or three hours ago, and I heard a single gunshot.”

That gunshot was followed by screams.

• RELATED: Person shot and killed at Nasturtium Drive in Charlotte County

The 911 call continued: “They said, ‘Help, help, help.’ and I came into my house, and I said, ‘I think somebody just got shot next door,’ and then we went back outside, and there was nothing. Everything was silent.”

The 911 call was made to the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office on Monday.

“They were yelling, and then I heard, like a car unlocked, like a beep, beep, OK, yeah, and I have a front door camera, but at that time a little bit dark,” the caller said.

The dispatcher asked, “Did the car happen right after the gunshot?”

“Yeah, I believe so, yeah, like, within seconds, like, 30 seconds,” he said.

“OK, and you didn’t see any car leave?” the dispatcher asked.

The caller responded, “No, I did not.”

This neighbor called 911 after a man came to his driveway asking for help.

• RELATED: Victim identified in Charlotte County shooting

You can hear those cries for help in the door cam video provided exclusively to WINK News.

The caller continued to explain the situation to the dispatcher, “He said, ‘Can you call 911? I think my friend’s been shot,’ and I said, ‘Yeah, I’ll call them. Just stay away from my house.’ He said, ‘What?’ and I said, ‘Just stay at the end of my driveway,’ and it sounded like he was already walking back over that way.”

The man walked towards the house where it all happened, the last one on a dead-end street.

“They got, like, anything between like seven and 12 people living over there,” the neighbor said to the dispatcher.

The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office has yet to say who fired the gun, and the investigation remains ongoing. Loved ones just hope it ends with justice.

“I do hope that there is justice for just for Doc,” said Karen Brownell, a close friend of Denis Carmody, also known as Doc. “It just, this person just can’t go around and just shoot somebody and and get away with this. There just has to be justice. He deserves it. He’s the most, kindest man.”

Brownell told WINK News reporter Amy Galo, Doc was a frequent customer at her old Port Charlotte bar, MS Rascal’s Looney Bin.

“I had the bar from 2008 until 2017,” said Brownell, who has since moved out of state. “Doc was a part of a motorcycle group called the Kings Men. And they were great guys. Charitable. I had charity runs, you know, especially with Toys for Tots and everything, and they were all there.”

Brownell joked, you could always easily spot Doc.

“He’d walk around with that pool stick in his hand all night long, just walking around, waving that pool stick, just waiting for somebody else to play with him,” Brownell recalled.

Brownell and her husband Joe were lucky to call Doc a close friend.

“He lived further away in Punta Gorda, so I would have him keep his bike at the bar, and he would stay at our home,” said Brownell. “We used to say, it was ‘Doc’s room.'”

So when they heard the news their dear friend had been shot and killed, their world shattered.

“My husband Joe has not stopped crying,” said Brownell. “He is so devastated over Denis’ passing because of his genuine kind mannerisms. I mean, he was just always there for you.”

Kindness that was never lost on anyone.

“He opened his home to so many people,” said Brownell. “He would do anything he could for people.”