Blood dripping from ceiling uncovers apparent murder-suicide, police say

Police said they found a couple's body after a downstairs neighbor saw blood dripping from the ceiling. (istock)

A neighbor’s frantic call after seeing blood seeping through the ceiling from the unit above uncovered the apparent murder-suicide of an elderly couple in South Florida.

Margate police said Monday authorities were called to the apartment around 4:30 p.m. Sunday after the downstairs tenant told a maintenance worker about a red substance seeping through her ceiling. Knocks to the upstairs apartment went unanswered and authorities were called.

Inside the apartment, police found the bodies of 84-year-old Nicholas Mantzouranis and his 66-year-old wife, Sally Mantzaouranis, each with a gunshot wound to the head.

Sally Mantzouranis was found in her bed, while her husband was sprawled on the floor with a gun nearby, the Sun Sentinel reported.

Police believe Nicholas Mantzaouranis killed his wife before turning the gun on himself.

“Detectives are still investigating this incident, but believe there is no danger to the public at this time,” Margate police Lt. Joseph Galaska told reporters Monday.

Another neighbor, who was not identified by the Sun Sentinel, told the newspaper that, when the shots were fired, a round went through his apartment. However, he didn’t know until police showed up Sunday as he had been out of the apartment the night before.

The neighbor said it was his understanding several neighbors called police to report the sound of gun shots.

Investigators urge anyone with information about the shooting to contact Margate Police Department at 954-972-7111.