Hilton Head murder victim had filed domestic violence claim against presumed shooter
A woman killed in a double murder-suicide on Hilton Head Island had recently filed a complaint of domestic violence against her suspected killer, an ex-boyfriend whom she reported having issues with in the past.
Bluffton resident Catherine Warrington, 50, was walking out of a dinner party with Hilton Head man David Duffey, 62, in the island’s North Forest Beach neighborhood Thursday night when both were fatally struck by a sudden surge of gunfire. Deputies said they found their bodies outside the home.
Police identified the suspected shooter as 52-year-old Bluffton resident Dustin Linsley, using license plate cameras to track him down to his home on Promenade Street. After several hours of negotiations with the suspect over the phone — in the midst of which a 56-year-old woman inside the apartment was able to leave unharmed — police found Linsley dead inside the unit from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound around 4:40 a.m. Friday.
Warrington told Bluffton police that Linsley had shown up at her house “unannounced” the night of Jan. 30. He stayed for hours, threatening her several times and eventually pulling a gun on her, according to a report she filed with the Bluffton Police Department three days later.
The two had lived together in Manasquan, New Jersey, and had “multiple” domestic violence situations before breaking up, the woman told police. She moved to South Carolina within the last year and Linsley, with financial help from Warrington, followed her to the Bluffton area in hopes of repairing their relationship, Linsley later told an officer.
Linsley arrived at Warrington’s home near Old Town Bluffton “agitated” because she recently had a date with another man, she told police. Warrington said she believed Linsley was “hacking” her phone and was unsure how he would otherwise know about the date.
During the unannounced visit, Linsley “chased” her around the kitchen island, Warrington was documented saying in the report, making her believe he would sexually assault her. Warrington told police Linsley forced her to turn off her camera system and “all her electronics” before he pulled out a black firearm, pointing it at her and her cat.
Warrington told police Linsley had recently become increasingly possessive toward her. After drawing the gun, according to the report, he told her, “We have two options, either I kill you, or I will kill you and kill myself.”
Asked if Warrington wanted to pursue charges, she said she “didn’t want to ruin Dustin’s life” and only wanted the incident documented. Warrington did not appear injured, the officer noted.
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In an interview with the same Bluffton officer the next day, Linsley denied threatening Warrington, saying he had been at her house Jan. 30 but only to “make soup” and do landscaping work at her request. He told the officer he had left his firearm in his apartment that night, according to the police report.
Linsley told the officer he was “frustrated” about his ex-girlfriend’s date because he had moved to Bluffton solely to fix their relationship. After a “minor verbal altercation” with Warrington that night, he said, Linsley left her home and decided to move back to New Jersey. The report noted he was carrying cleaning products as he packed his belongings and cleaned the apartment before he moved.
The Bluffton officer concluded the report by writing he “(does) not believe probable cause exists” to arrest Linsley for domestic violence.
Warrington and Linsley’s social media profiles indicate both worked at the same company, the Boston-headquartered Fidelity Investments.
Deputies on Monday continued to investigate the circumstances behind the murder-suicide, which they said appeared to be a “domestic-related incident.” Sheriff’s office spokesperson Lt. Daniel Allen said police were also awaiting the results of forensic analysis.
This story was originally published February 23, 2026 at 3:37 PM.
