Man arrested for murder of girlfriend

A 39-year-old Marathon man was charged Friday for fatally shooting his girlfriend after falsely claiming she committed suicide earlier this month.

Sean Booth Chidester was charged with murder.

“Thankfully, there are few murders in the Florida Keys, but when they do occur the Sheriff’s Office will always work aggressively and vigilantly to resolve them as quickly as possible,” said Sheriff Rick Ramsay, “I want to thank my staff, the State Attorney’s Office and the Medical Examiner’s Office for their diligent work in resolving this sad case.”

The case began on July 14, 2022 when the Sheriff’s Office was called to a residence on the 1000 block of Sylvia Avenue in Marathon regarding an alleged suicide. Chidester was at the scene. The body of 38-year-old Daniela Blackburn was inside the residence. She had been shot in the head with a handgun. Chidester claimed Blackburn shot herself while he was in another room. The 9mm handgun was found in the residence.

The Medical Examiner found the wound was not consistent with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Detectives found Blackburn had no prior history of mental illness or suicidal tendencies.

Chidester is currently in jail on a $1 million bail on the murder charge.

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