Couple Accused of Dragging Neighbor to Balcony, Fatally Throwing Him Over Amid ‘Argument’: Police

Shawn Durbin, 39, and Nancy Ann Durbin, 36, were arrested on first-degree assault charges after police in Elizabethtown responded to a call of a man in cardiac arrest on November 13.

It was while en route that officers were “updated that the individual in question had been thrown from a second-story balcony,” Elizabethtown Police Public Information Officer Chris Denham told People.

When they arrived, the found the victim, 62-year-old Bobby Pennington, with severe blunt force trauma to his face, per Court TV. A bystander was giving the victim CPR when police arrived and reportedly told them she saw the couple throw him from the balcony, per The Independent.

Officers spoke with one witness who told them they saw the Durbins “physically drag the victim from in front of [an apartment] which belonged to the Durbins, and then throw him over the second-story balcony handrail,” as detailed in the arrest citation for Nancy. According to the report, it was an eleven-and-a-half foot drop onto a concrete pad.

According to Denham the alleged assault was preceded by an unspecified dispute between the Durbins and Pennington. “I have no idea what the argument was about,” Denham told People. “It’s despicable, frankly. There was no indication that Mr. Pennington had caused these two any problems.”

After the fall, Pennington was transported to a local medical facility where x-rays showed he suffered a broken neck and ribs. He was put on a ventilator and later transported to a university hospital in critical condition. Four days after he was allegedly thrown from the balcony, Pennington succumbed to his injuries and died on November 17.

“I don’t know what their motive was,” Denham added. Speaking with CBS affiliate WLKY, he said that the Durbins have offered no explanation for any of it. “There’s absolutely no ownership. It speaks volumes,” he said, “the character of them, you know.” He said that both Durbins have denied any involvement in what happened to Pennington.

“Best reports we can come up with is that Mr. Pennington didn’t bother anyone and was thrown off almost a 12-foot balcony and ended his life,” he summarized. “It extends well beyond just irrational behavior, and there’s certainly no justification for it.”

“It’s disgusting, it’s despicable,” Denham emphasized. “Again, all indications are that he did nothing to deserve this.”

According to Pennington’s obituary, he was a “very generous man,” who both “loved to ride his bike and give bikes to underprivileged children.”

“He used to his bicycle around the neighborhood. He waved at everybody. And it’s just a horrible thing that happened to him,” a neighbor told WLKY. “Why did you do it? Why would you do that to somebody? That’s horrible.”

In addition to the murder charges for both Durbins, Shawn had initially been charged with two counts of third-degree assault and one count of resisting arrest after police reported that he attempted to kick out a patrol car window, spit on a police officer, grabbed their crotch and tried fighting with them, as detailed by The News-Enterprise. Those charges have since been upgraded to two counts of first-degree assault.

After their indictment on November 20, the Durbins are both expected in court for their arraignment on December 9. They are currently being held at the Hardin County Detention Center on $500,000 bail each.