A Florida man is behind bars this week after detectives determined he didn’t just watch his girlfriend take her own life—he allegedly provided the weapon and the encouragement to do it.
The Broward Sheriff’s Office arrested 41-year-old Miguel Hernandez on March 22, ending a two-month investigation into the death of Camille Mary McGonigle.
While the Medical Examiner has officially ruled the 37-year-old woman’s death a suicide, prosecutors say Hernandez’s actions at the scene were so reckless they constitute manslaughter.
The incident began on the afternoon of January 24, when deputies were called to a home in the 4000 block of Northeast Eighth Avenue in Oakland Park. They arrived to find McGonigle inside the residence with a gunshot wound to the head.
READ: Death Row Inmate Fights In Florida Supreme Court For Secret Lethal Injection Records
Though she was rushed to Broward Health Medical Center, her injuries were non-survivable. She remained on life support until February 9, when she was pronounced deceased.
In the initial moments of the investigation, Hernandez told deputies that the couple had been arguing and that McGonigle had shot herself. However, as homicide detectives began piecing together the evidence, a much darker picture emerged of what happened inside that room.
According to investigators, the couple was locked in a verbal dispute just before the trigger was pulled.
Detectives now say that during the heat of the argument, Hernandez “actively facilitated and escalated the incident.” Specifically, investigators claim that Hernandez racked the slide of a firearm to chamber a live round, handed the weapon directly to McGonigle, and then repeatedly urged her to shoot herself.
The Broward County State Attorney’s Office officially issued a warrant for Hernandez on March 19, charging him with manslaughter by culpable negligence.
The charge reflects the legal finding that while McGonigle physically discharged the firearm, Hernandez’s decision to arm her and encourage the act created the direct circumstances leading to her death.
Members of the BSO V.I.P.E.R. (Violence Intervention Proactive Enforcement Response) unit took Hernandez into custody on Sunday. He is currently being held at the Broward County Main Jail.
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox
