Maryland State Police Investigating Apparent Murder-Suicide in Somerset County

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Official release

Source material from Maryland State Police. The wording below is the issuer’s statement.

Maryland State Police Investigating Apparent Murder-Suicide in Somerset County

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September 8, 2026

(POCOMOKE, MD) – Maryland State Police are investigating an apparent murder-suicide that occurred on Sunday in Somerset County.

The deceased are identified as Christine Wells, 67, and Robert Dehart, 66, of Pocomoke, Maryland. Both were pronounced deceased on the scene by local emergency medical services personnel. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore officially ruled Wells' death as homicide.

Shortly before 7:30 p.m. on September 6, troopers from the Maryland State Police Princess Anne Barrack responded to a residence on the 7500 block of Dividing Creek Road in Pocomoke, Maryland, for a welfare check. Upon arrival at the residence, police located an unresponsive female, later identified as Wells. Police additionally located Dehart with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Investigators believe Wells and Dehart were previously in a relationship, and Wells was currently acting as Dehart’s caretaker.

Investigators from the Maryland State Police Homicide Unit and Crime Scene Technicians from the Maryland State Police Forensic Sciences Division responded to the scene to review and process evidence.

Anyone with information relevant to this investigation is urged to call 202-953-1903. All calls may remain confidential.

The investigation remains active and ongoing.

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Release text attributed to Maryland State Police. Consult the official publication for any subsequent corrections or updates.