Valrico Murder-Suicide: Estranged Husband Kills Wife's New Boyfriend

Tragic Discovery in Valrico

• 🚨 Deputies responded to a death investigation in Valrico early Wednesday morning, which appears to be a murder-suicide.
• 📞 The incident began with a 911 call from an estranged wife reporting her husband inside her home, threatening her new boyfriend.
• 👦 A subsequent call from their 12-year-old son, hiding upstairs, confirmed the break-in and commotion.

Events Leading to the Incident

• 💔 The estranged husband, identified as 51-year-old Philip Cordova, learned of his wife's new relationship last Thursday after a 5-year separation.
• ⚠️ Cordova had been texting and calling his estranged wife, stating he would come to the house, take his own life, and set himself on fire.
• 🚗 Deputies arriving on scene found a vehicle fully engulfed in fire with a body and a firearm nearby, believed to be Cordova.

Investigation and Aftermath

• 🎯 Inside the residence, deputies discovered the estranged wife's new boyfriend, who had been dating her for three months, shot multiple times.
• 👨‍👩‍👦 The 12-year-old son was safely removed from the home and reunited with his mother.
• ❓ While confident it's Cordova, the identity of the burned individual is pending confirmation due to the body being charred beyond recognition.
• ⚖️ The sheriff expressed a desire for intervention, suggesting that law enforcement involvement or an injunction might have prevented the violence.
• 🤝 Victim advocates are providing support to the family and deputies who responded to the scene.