GROVELAND, Fla. — A well-being check on an elderly Groveland couple turned into a murder investigation Sunday night when officers discovered a man had allegedly killed his wife in a hammer attack, according to an arrest affidavit.
Around 9 p.m., officers with the Groveland Police Department responded to 304 Way Point Drive to check on Vincent Di Fraia, 82, and his 84-year-old wife after a concerned woman reported she had not heard from them since April 14. The woman, whose relationship to the couple was not confirmed by police, cited their age and ongoing health issues as reasons for concern, according to the affidavit.
She also told officers the couple had previously discussed a possible suicide pact involving pills, the affidavit states.
After providing officers with a key, police entered the home and found Vincent Di Fraia sitting on a couch wearing a blood-stained shirt, according to the affidavit.
“Vincent Di Fraia was observed with a vacant stare and visible cuts on both of his arms, which appeared consistent with self-inflicted injuries,” the affidavit states. He was transported to Orlando Health South Lake Hospital for evaluation and treatment.
Officers located the woman in a bedroom, lying on a bed with a hammer nearby, according to the affidavit. Investigators later obtained a search warrant and found a bloody knife on a table near where Di Fraia had been sitting, along with another knife in a bedroom. It was not immediately clear if that knife was found in the same room as the victim.
The affidavit also describes blood spatter on the walls and ceiling that appeared consistent with cast-off patterns, indicating an object may have been swung repeatedly during the attack.
Crime scene investigators and the medical examiner responded to the home and determined the woman had likely been dead for more than 24 hours, according to the affidavit.
In a statement to Inside Lake Wednesday, GPD said investigators, in consultation with the State Attorney’s Office, obtained search warrants to search the home and collect a blood sample from Di Fraia. Based on those findings, he was arrested.
“Upon arrival, officers found Vincent Difraia in the living room. In another part of the home, his wife was found deceased from what appeared to be blunt-force trauma to the head,” GPD said.
Police have not released the victim’s name. Di Fraia is being held in the Lake County Jail on no bond.
Editor’s note: While Inside Lake typically publishes booking photos, the image in this case shows the suspect in a medical setting and is not being published.
