Lake County

UPDATE: Police identify person of interest in ‘senseless’ slaying of elderly Mount Dora Couple

MOUNT DORA, Fla. — The Mount Dora police chief described the slaying of a couple in their 80s in a senior living community as random, senseless and ruthless.

Chief Michael Gibson said Darryl and Sharon Getman were found dead Saturday in their home in Waterman Village in Mount Dora.

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“In this case the golden years of Darryl and Sharon were tragically cut short by a ruthless and senseless double homicide,” Gibson said.

Gibson has been tight-lipped about what happened to the couple and who is responsible for their deaths.

Gibson said Tuesday that a person of interest in the case was in custody out of state. He said the woman was arrested on a charge of grand theft for stealing the Getmans’ car.

Gibson identified the woman Wednesday evening as 50-year-old Vickie Lynn Williams of Savannah, Georgia.

She’s being held in the Chatham County Detention Center in Savannah Georgia awaiting extradition to Lake County.

She’ll be charged with one count of grand theft of a motor vehicle with additional charges expected to follow as the investigation continues.

Read: $10K reward offered after suspicious death of couple at senior living community in Mount Dora

Police said the extradition process to get Williams back to Florida is underway, but so far murder charges have not been filed.

Gibson said security escorted Williams off the Waterman Village property once on Friday afternoon. Later that night, he said a resident at the senior living community pushed her alarm button after the same woman knocked on her door and asked to take a shower.

Read: Mount Dora police investigate suspicious death of couple at senior living community

Gibson said when police responded, they were not able to locate Williams. He said investigators believe she entered the property through a gap in the fence.

Three hours later, early Saturday morning, Gibson said the Getmans’ vehicle was seen on security camera footage leaving the community.

Gibson said police responded to the complex on Saturday after neighbors called to report that the Getmans’ garage door was left open. He said that is when investigators found them dead inside their home.

Read: Mount Dora police investigate suspicious death of man and woman at senior living community

Gibson said law enforcement in Savannah arrested Williams after she was stopped while driving the couple’s car.

Gibson said he is confident that the couple’s killing was random, and that Williams was just passing through Central Florida with no known ties to the couple or Mount Dora.

Gibson said he expects to provide additional details, including the person of interest’s identity, in the coming days.

Stay tuned to Channel 9 Eyewitness News for updates.

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Sarah Wilson

Sarah Wilson, WFTV.com

Sarah Wilson joined WFTV Channel 9 in 2018 as a digital producer after working as an award-winning newspaper reporter for nearly a decade in various communities across Central Florida.

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