Greene County Sheriff’s Office investigating murder-suicide of Bois D’Arc couple
On Monday evening, 09/29/14, Greene County Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to a location near the area of 10000 block of W Farm Rd 124 where a witness reported seeing a male pointing a handgun at a female and the two left the area in a silver-in-color pickup truck. When Deputies arrived in the area, they were unable to locate anyone matching the description or the vehicle. At approximately 7:30 pm, GCSO Deputies responded to the 600 block of Pershing in Willard at the request of the Willard Police Department after they located a white female, who was later identified as 48-year old Sandra Pendergrass, with severe head trauma including a visible gunshot wound in the roadway; she was later pronounced deceased at the scene. Shortly thereafter, it was determined the victim in Willard was identified as the same female from the earlier incident on Farm Rd 124.
During the investigation of the shooting death in Willard, GCSO Detectives were led to a location in Dade County where Sandra’s estranged husband 48-year old Todd Pendergrass had taken his own life. “Investigators learned that Todd Pendergrass had confessed to killing Sandra to his daughter and brother before taking his own life. Our condolences are with the Pendergrass family as they cope with this double tragedy,” states Greene County Sheriff Jim Arnott. The investigation is on-going; GCSO Detectives will be attending autopsies for the couple that is scheduled for later in the week.
Both Willard PD and the Dade County Sheriff’s Department requested mutual aid from the GCSO for assistance in this investigation; the GCSO will be the primary investigating agency and any questions related to this case should be directed to the Greene County Sheriff’s Office.
“It became apparent upon our arrival to the Willard crime scene that it was linked to an earlier Greene County dispatch to check a person with a gun at the 10000 block of W Farm Rd 124; given that, the Willard Police Department requested the GCSO Detectives to oversee the investigation with Willard Officer’ assistance. We are grateful for the expertise and resources of the GCSO Criminal Investigations Division and wish to thank them and the Sheriff for an expeditious end to a tragic case,” according to Willard Police Chief Tom McClain.
