JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Brunswick cardiologist was killed in an apparent murder-suicide in Southeast Georgia Thursday.
Police responded to a home on Buffalo Road in Jesup in Wayne County Thursday night.
The Wayne County Sheriff's Office says they found Dr. Marsha Certain and her boyfriend, Tracey Sanna, dead inside.
Police say Sanna told a family member that he had killed Certain and threatened to take his life.
When police arrived, they tried to get him out of the house. That's when they heard a gunshot and found the two deceased.
Who was Marsha Certain?
Certain helped to lead the cardiology department at Southeast Georgia Health System's Brunswick Campus. Her brother and son, who were also doctors, also worked in the cardiology department.
Certain was "instrumental in increasing access to heart care in Camden County," according to a statement from Southeast Georgia Health System. She worked at the Brunswick Campus for 37 years and was chief of medical staff there from 1996-1998.
She also served as a member of the Glynn-Brunswick Memorial Authority from 2001-2004 and a member of the Southeast Georgia Health System's board from 1994-1998.
In their statement, the Health System wrote that Certain was not deterred when she entered the cardiology field, even though it was male-dominated at the time. "Dr. Certain’s patients greatly enjoyed having a female cardiologist; she understood the importance of building a personal rapport and relationship with her patients – as well as with her colleagues, staff and fellow team members," the statement said.
It concluded: "The Health System has lost a dedicated physician and employee, our community and patients have lost an outstanding health advocate, and her family and friends have lost a vibrant, loving member of their lives. Dr. Certain will be greatly missed and we extend our deepest condolences to her family, friends, patients and coworkers during this incredibly difficult time."