Florida Jewelry Store Owner Killed in Gas Explosion

By Rob Bates | December 10, 2025

Wendy Davis, owner of Darklyn Beads & Beyond, a jewelry store in Eustis, Fla., was killed in a gas explosion at the store on Dec. 4, according to local news reports.

The explosion took place around 11 a.m. and caused a fire that eventually consumed the store. Davis was airlifted to the hospital, but died that afternoon.

Shortly after the incident, Eustis fire chief Michael Swanson told reporters that “there was some road work and utility work being done. We discovered a gas leak on a natural gas line. The gas leak was crimped off and contained.

“From what I understand, the ensuing event occurred after the line was crimped. What we’re trying to do now is determine what caused the explosion and the fire.”

Swanson noted that the store did “have some equipment in the back of the building that they use for soldering and welding and such, because they do work on jewelry and things like that. We’ll have to take a look at some of that also….

“We don’t know what actually caused this incident, other than we did have an active gas leak in front of the building—it was not actually in the building,” he said.

Some local residents told Fox35 Orlando they’d smelled a gas odor weeks before the explosion.

At press time, investigations were ongoing.

Davis had owned Darklyn for over 20 years, according to Lake & Sumter Style magazine.

Friend Mia Tompkins told Spectrum News 13 that Davis had “such a heart of generosity. I can’t even begin to tell you the things she’s done for this community.

“I’ve only gotten to know her for the last 12 years, but my relationship with her is priceless.”

(Photo from the Eustis Fire Department on Facebook)