J.C. Derrick
An apparently murder-suicide has left a man and his two sons dead, according to the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office (ASO).
Early Tuesday morning deputies responded to a family member’s request to check on a home in the 10000 block of SW 27th Avenue in Gainesville due to disturbing texts and social media posts by Paul Reinhart. ASO deputies were unable to locate either Reinhart, his vehicle, or his two sons, 14-year-old Rex and 11-year-old Brody.
During a subsequent search, authorities learned Reinhart had a family vacation home in Dixie County. The Dixie County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) located Reinhart’s van at the home, which was on fire. After emergency crews put out the fire, they found three deceased persons in the residence.
“Deputies presume these to be the bodies of Paul Reinhart and his two children,” the ASO reported.
As of 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, positive identification was still not known, according to ASO spokesman Art Forgey.
DCSO spokesman Johnny Valentine said the autopsy report may come fairly quickly.
“We’re hoping by tomorrow to have the medical examiner’s report,” Valentine said. “That’s my best guess.”
WUFT reported that Reinhart recently lost his job and was in the early stages of a divorce. It also reported that one of the sons, Brody, was a regular bat boy for the No. 10 Florida Gators.
Reinhart’s Facebook page includes many baseball photos, both of his sons playing and of the family attending the 2020 Major League Baseball World Series.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include Johnny Valentine’s quote.