PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — A Florida woman who is accused of shooting and killing both her mother and fiancé told police that she acted in self-defense.
Police told WPTV they first went to the Palm Beach Gardens home to do a welfare check on Andrew Sturm, who failed to show up for his job as an emergency room physician. Neighbors told police they heard gunshots.
Officers then went into the home and found two bodies on the floor with gunshot wounds, WPBF reported. A third person, Alexandra Cupolo, was also in the home, but unconscious.
While police were in the house, Cupolo briefly regained consciousness, during which time she allegedly told officers to “look in the fridge,” and said, “the occult made me do this, it was self-defense,” WPBF reported.
The two victims were identified as Sturm, who was engaged to Cupolo, and Jacqueline Cupolo, her mother.
Officers later found a note written by Cupolo in the kitchen of the house saying, “It was self-defense,” and contained instructions for taking care of the dogs, WPBF reported. The note ended with, “The occult were messing with me. Don’t believe anything bad. I am telling the truth.” WPBF reported that attached to the note was an envelope containing Cupolo’s last will and testament.
While at the hospital, Cupolo allegedly admitted to police she shot both people, saying,”I shot my mom, and then I shot Andrew,” WPTV reported.
Court paperwork obtained by WPTV shows detectives asked Cupolo why she shot them. Cupolo allegedly responded, “my mom is a (expletive), so I shot her,” and added that she shot her fiancé “because he was standing next to her.”
When asked about killing her fiancé, Cupolo allegedly told detectives, “It’s alright, he’s at peace,” WPBF reported.