Person of interest in Mount Dora homicides in custody in Savannah, Georgia
MOUNT DORA – Police in Savannah, Georgia have arrested the person of interest in the slaying of Darryl and Sharon Getman in their Waterman Village Home on Sunday.
Vickie Lynn Williams, 50, of Savannah, was arrested Monday afternoon in the Getmans' Kia Soul and is being held on a Florida grand theft auto charge. The State Attorney’s Office is working to extradite her back to Lake County and update the charges to homicide.
Mount Dora police announced the woman's name and the arrest location Wednesday night. They previously had announced only the arrest.
The first story: Police call deaths of elderly Mount Dora couple 'suspicious in nature'
Earlier coverage: 'Person of interest' arrested in deaths of Mount Dora couple
After Ian: Three months after Hurricane Ian landfall, Florida's official death toll at 144
Also on Wednesday, police released a statement from Getmans’ adult children, Anthony and Brittany Getman.
“We are stunned, devastated and heart-broken by the horrific murder of our parents. If there are words to describe what has happened and its impact to our family and the community, we have not found them,” they said.
Interim Mount Dora Police Chief Mike Gibson said he received word of the arrest during a Tuesday afternoon press conference but refused to release the woman's name at that time. He has held his cards close to his vest, including how the Getmans were killed, but indicated that police had issued a be-on-the-lookout bulletin for the car.
Here is what happened in Savannah, Georgia
A detective with the Savannah Police Department noted in his report that he spotted the 2019 Kia at the Amtrak station at 11:20 a.m. The car was occupied by a driver and the engine was running.
He verified the car was stolen by checking the license plate and called for backup. Another detective arrived in a marked patrol car and ordered Williams to exit the car. She was placed in handcuffs and the vehicle was towed.
This is how the case developed
Gibson did reveal in a press conference Tuesday afternoon that a woman entered the retirement community on Lake Margaret Circle on Dec. 30, at about 3 p.m., “dressed in a particular way” and was escorted out by security through an entry point in an opening in the rear of the complex.
At 4:14 p.m. the same woman was seen again on security video on Lake Mary Circle. She was wearing the same outfit, very distinctive, he said.
At about 10:58 p.m. on the same date, she went to apartment 4105 at 301 Lake Margaret Circle, and asked the woman there, “Can I take a shower?”
The woman hit a security panic button, alerting security.
“Did you call 911?” the woman asked.
When the resident said she had, the woman ran out the door, but not before grabbing a set of keys. Mount Dora police also responded.
The keys were to a car and a mailbox, but not the Getmans' car.
About three hours later, at 2:02 a.m., security camera footage captured an image of the Getmans' car being driven out of the retirement community.
About 10 or 11 minutes later, the driver returned to the security gate, but the staff would not allow her to re-enter the complex. She turned north on Donnelly and then onto a back construction road. Security followed briefly but lost sight of her.
By about 4 p.m. on Sunday, a neighbor became concerned when he saw the Getmans' garage door open at 161 Lake Margaret Circle and called security. When they entered the apartment, they saw the slain couple and called police.
Asked how the woman got inside the gated community, Gibson said there are “gaps in the fence.”
He said the company has brought in its security experts to analyze the independent-living complex, which was opened last year across Donnelly Street from the older section of the community, which includes assisted living and other care facilities.
The chief executive officer for Waterman Villages could not be reached for comment Thursday. Gibson said his crime prevention people were assisting the company in reviewing their procedures.
Gibson said there were other reports, apparently about the same woman, knocking on doors asking if she could plug her cellphone into an outlet.
Gibson did not return calls Thursday. It is unknown if Williams is cooperating with the investigation, including talking to his detectives.
A $10,000 reward
Williams described herself as a “self-employed real estate agent,” on her jail records. Those records indicate that she is 5-foot-6 and weighs 159 pounds.
Gibson has repeatedly asked residents to call in with information. There is a $10,000 reward through Crimeline. The number to call is 1-800-423-TIPS.
The statement from the Getman’s son and daughter stated, “Mom and Dad had been residents of Mount Dora for over 20 years and truly loved the area. They were enjoying their golden years staying active and spending time with their many friends. We appreciate all the support we have received. It just shows how well thought of our parents were."
Darryl was 83. Sharon was 80.
“We have every confidence in Chef Michael Gibson and the Mount Dora PD and Special Agent Lee Massie and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. They and their teams have worked tirelessly together and with other agencies to solve this crime. We look forward to a successful resolution.
“We humbly ask you to respect our privacy in this most difficult time and to allow law enforcement to complete their mission to solve this tragically unnecessary crime,” they said.
Gibson has said his agency has had no contact with Williams in the past, and believes she was just passing through the area.
This article originally appeared on Daily Commercial: Mount Dora homicide 'person of interest' in custody in Savannah, Ga.
