TAVARES, Florida—The woman accused of brutally murdering an elderly Mount Dora couple who was found dead in their home Dec. 31 made her first appearance in court Saturday morning, a week after the bodies were found.
Vickie Lynn Williams, 50, was soft-spoken as she answered Lake County Judge Emily Curington’s questions Saturday. Williams is facing two first-degree murder charges and a grand theft auto charge after being accused of killing Darryl and Sharon Getman in their home in Waterman Village and stealing their green Kia Soul. Williams was apprehended in Savannah, Georgia Monday and extradited to Lake County Friday.
Curington appointed Williams a public defender and scheduled her next court date for Jan. 30. Williams is being held without bond in the Lake County Jail. She was originally arrested just for grand theft auto, and two first-degree murder charges were added late Friday night; Inside Lake was the first media organization to report the added charges.
Inside Lake was the only media organization to discover Mount Dora Police officers interacted with a woman believed to be Williams at a Mount Dora hotel just hours before the murder.
Darryl and Sharon Getman were found murdered in their home Dec. 31.
TAVARES, Florida—Vickie Lynn Williams, the person of interest in the brutal slayings of an elderly Mount Dora couple is now facing murder charges.
Williams, 50, stands accused of killing Darryl Getman, 83, and Sharon Getman, 80, in their home in Mount Dora sometime between the late hours of Dec. 30 and the early morning hours of Dec. 31. Williams is suspected of killing the couple and fleeing in their Kia Soul just after 2 a.m. Dec. 31.
An alert was issued for the lime green SUV, and she was apprehended in Savannah, Georgia on Monday with the Getman’s vehicle and taken into custody. She was held at the Chatham County Jail in Georgia until she was extradited back to Lake County on Friday.
Vickie Lynn Williams PHOTO: Lake County Sheriff’s Office
When she was booked into LCJ, she was only facing a grand theft auto charge, but Inside Lake was tipped off that two charges of first-degree murder were added late Friday night. Inside Lake confirmed the charges with Lake County Sheriff’s Office online booking information.
On Friday, only Inside Lake released a video that appears to show Williams interacting with Mount Dora Police officers at Hampton Inn, 19700 U.S. Highway 441, Mount Dora on Dec. 30, just hours before she is accused of killing the pair.
Williams’ first appearance is scheduled for Saturday morning.
Darryl and Sharon Getman were found murdered in their home Saturday.
MOUNT DORA, Florida—Only Inside Lake discovered Mount Dora Police officers interacted with a woman who bears a striking resemblance to the person of interest in the slayings of an elderly Waterman Village couple just hours before their stolen SUV was driven off Waterman Village property Saturday, however, City of Mount Dora Spokesperson Vershurn Ford refused to confirm or deny it was her to Inside Lake Friday after multiple calls and emails to the city.
The woman, who bears a striking resemblance to Vickie Lynn Williams, 50, walked into Hampton Inn, 19700 U.S. Highway 441, Mount Dora, shortly before 12:45 p.m. Dec. 30, made herself a cup of coffee in the lobby, and began wandering around the hotel; a short time later, she was found by an employee sitting on the stairs crying and complaining her stomach hurt, sources told Inside Lake. The employee offered to assist the woman or call an ambulance and she refused.
The woman wandered the hotel until she found a room on the third floor that was open due to housekeeping, surveillance video shows. She entered the room and closed the door and employees called MDPD for assistance. Officers found the room she was in, and first she refused to come out. While police were outside the door, she called the front desk and reportedly said she would be out of the room in “10 minutes,” according to a source. She exited the room a short time later; it is unknown what the woman may have done in the room because it had not been cleaned yet, and was cleaned shortly after she left, sources said.
She approached a Hampton Inn employee for a ride as she exited the hotel and was denied, sources told Inside Lake. She is then seen on hotel surveillance video walking off hotel property at 1:39 p.m. northbound on U.S. Highway 441, the same direction as Waterman Village.
Surveillance video showing a woman bearing a striking resemblance to the person of interest in the Waterman Village double slayings.
A little more than an hour after the woman left Hampton Inn, at around 3 p.m., Williams was found by Waterman Village security and escorted out through an opening in a fence, MDPD Interim Chief Michael Gibson said earlier this week. At 4:14 p.m. she was captured on video surveillance on Lake Margaret Circle, the same street the Getmans lived on and shortly before 11 p.m. she went to an apartment on Lake Margaret Circle, knocked on the door and asked the female occupant if she could take a shower. That woman refused and Williams stole a set of keys and fled.
Just hours later, at 2:02 a.m., surveillance video at Waterman Village captured Williams driving the Kia Soul that belonged to the victims off Waterman Village property, according to authorities.
Darryl Getman, 83, and Sharon Getman, 80, were found slain shortly after 4 p.m. Saturday in their home at 161 Lake Margaret Circle in Waterman Village, a senior living community. Security personnel reported a suspicious incident to MDPD and when they responded, the bodies were found, Gibson said.
An alert was put out for the couple’s vehicle, and it was pulled over in Savannah, Georgia Monday morning. Williams was apprehended and taken into custody on a warrant for grand theft auto. She was extradited back to Lake County and her first appearance is scheduled for 9 a.m. Saturday, according to Lake County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Fred Jones.
Darryl and Sharon Getman were found murdered in their home Saturday.
A Florida Department of Law Enforcement agent was at Hampton Inn Thursday interviewing employees about the incident while Inside Lake was there gathering information. Inside Lake reached out to Mount Dora Friday to request information about the call to Hampton Inn, and Ford, the city’s spokesperson, said the details are part of the investigation and could not be released at this time. He also refused to positively identify the woman as Williams.
Inside Lake was the first media organization to find out about the murders Saturday night, it was nearly 14 hours before the city released any information.
TAVARES, Florida—Vickie Lynn Williams, the person of interest in the murders of an elderly Mount Dora couple is back in Florida and being held in the Lake County Jail.
Williams, 50, was apprehended Monday in Savannah, Georgia driving the couple’s stolen Kia Soul, Mount Dora Police Chief Michael Gibson said earlier this week. She was extradited back to Lake County Friday afternoon, according to Lake County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Fred Jones. Her first appearance is scheduled for 9 a.m. Saturday, Jones said.
Darryl, 83, and Sharon Getman, 80 were found murdered in their duplex home at 161 Lake Margaret Circle in Waterman Village after security personnel called 9-1-1 to report a “suspicious incident,” Gibson said. MDPD discovered the bodies and launched an investigation, and an alert was issued for the vehicle. Sources told Inside Lake the crime scene was gruesome.
Inside Lake received information Thursday that Williams had an interaction with MDPD officers at a local business Dec. 30, just a day before the bodies of the Getmans were found. Inside Lake worked all Friday afternoon to confirm the interaction and as of press time for this article, had not received an answer.
Darryl and Sharon Getman were found murdered in their home Saturday.
SAVANNAH, Georgia—The person of interest in the murders of a Mount Dora couple has been identified.
Vickie Lynn Williams, 50, of Savannah, Georgia was arrested just before 11:45 a.m. Monday driving the Kia Soul, owned by Darryl, 83, and Sharon Getman, 80. The couple was found murdered in their duplex home at 161 Lake Margaret Circle Saturday after Waterman Village security personnel called 9-1-1 to report a “suspicious incident,” Mount Dora Police Chief Michael Gibson said earlier this week. MDPD discovered the bodies and launched an investigation, and an alert was issued for the vehicle. Sources told Inside Lake the crime scene was gruesome.
Darryl and Sharon Getman were found murdered in their home Saturday.
Williams is being held in the Chatham County Jail in Georgia and only Inside Lake spoke with Chatham County Public Information Officer Parla Parker Wednesday morning. Information she released to Inside Lake states Williams worked at a Georgia senior living community and a nursing center in the last decade.
Numerous sources have told Inside Lake MDPD was originally looking for a local woman with an extensive criminal history and Williams was not a suspect until she was found with the vehicle.
MOUNT DORA, Florida—The son and daughter of the couple found murdered New Year’s Eve have released a statement on the murders of their parents.
Darryl Getman, 83, and his wife, Sharon Getman, 80, were found murdered in their duplex home at 161 Lake Margaret Circle after Waterman Village security personnel called 9-1-1 to report a “suspicious incident,” Mount Dora Police Chief Gibson said earlier this week. MDPD discovered the bodies and launched an investigation and Gibson asked the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for their assistance with the crime scene and forensics.
Their son, Anthony and daughter, Brittany released a statement Wednesday.
“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. 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. We have every confidence in Chief 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.”
A person of interest was taken into custody after she was found driving a lime green Kia Soul owned by the couple in another state Monday, Gibson said. She has been arrested for grand theft auto and will be extradited back to Lake County. She has not been charged with the murders yet and Gibson refused to release her name to reporters Tuesday.
MOUNT DORA, Florida—The names of the couple found dead at Waterman Village Saturday have been released and a person of interest is in custody, according to Mount Dora Police.
Darryl Getman, 83, and his wife, Sharon Getman, 80, were found dead in their duplex home at 161 Lake Margaret Circle after Waterman Village security personnel called 9-1-1 to report a “suspicious incident,” Gibson said. MDPD discovered the bodies and Gibson asked the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for their assistance with the crime scene and forensics, he said.
The couple lived in a home in Mount Dora before recently moving to Waterman Village, Gibson said.
In 2021, the couple donated funds to AdventHealth Waterman to purchase a simulator baby for the hospital, according to a social media post. The hospital named the simulated baby “Baby Sharon,” after Getman, the post stated. On Nov. 9, 2021, the hospital “celebrated with a baby shower complete with cake and decorations and demonstrated how this simulator will allow nurses and physicians to practice responding to life threatening emergencies that are infrequent, but have the potential to be devastating to families,” it said in the post.
PHOTO: AdventHealth Waterman
A woman was taken into custody after being found driving a lime green Kia Soul owned by the couple in another state Monday, Gibson said. She has been arrested for grand theft auto and will be extradited back to Lake County. She has not been charged for the murders yet and Gibson refused to release her name or what state she was arrested in, to reporters Tuesday.
The woman had been spotted hanging around Waterman Village Friday and police believe she was using a construction entrance to gain entry to the property. She was escorted off the property by Waterman Village security around 3 p.m. Friday, Gibson said. At 4:14 p.m. she was captured on surveillance cameras and later that same evening, around 11 p.m. she asked a resident if she could come inside a take a shower, that resident, a female, denied her entry and she stole a set of keys that contained a mailbox key and a car key, and that woman called Waterman Village security, Gibson said. Then at 2:02 a.m. the Kia Soul belonging to the victims, is spotted on surveillance video leaving the property. The timeline of events was unclear and Gibson was asked by reporters to clarify it several times.
Gibson said the person of interest has no ties to the area and was just “passing through.”
MOUNT DORA, Florida—A “major investigation update” in the deaths of a Mount Dora couple is scheduled for mid-Tuesday afternoon, according to City of Mount Dora Spokesperson Vershurn Ford.
Mount Dora Police Department released little new information Monday, though they told reporters and the public, the names of the victims would be released late Monday after a meeting with the victims’ family. They were not released. Inside Lake has known the couple’s identity since Saturday night, but will not publish the couple’s names until they are officially released.
Mount Dora officials held a townhall meeting late Monday morning to reassure residents they were safe, but three-year resident Fran Wishnick, 70, does not agree, “That feels like a stretch,” she told Inside Lake outside Monday’s meeting.
She said she does agree with some details of the investigation being held back, but reassuring people they are safe when no one is in custody does not make sense to her. “Just stop telling us everything is OK,” she said.
In Sunday’s press conference and again at Monday’s townhall meeting, Gibson called the incident a “homicide investigation” but stopped short of calling it a double murder, 40 hours after the bodies were discovered.
Wishnick’s sentiments echo many of the comments made on social media since Inside Lake broke the story, including, “Ummm…There’s a murderer on the loose, but DON’T WORRY! You’re safe!! Not buying it!!!” commenter Shannon Cook said, “Their precious, quaint little historical tourist trap is at risk!!!”
Other residents who wished to remain anonymous reached out to Inside Lake to express their frustrations with the lack of information being given. It is highly unusual for an agency to refuse to release whether a death investigation is a double murder or a murder/suicide; it is also highly unusual for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to be involved in a city police department’s murder investigation.
Gibson announced Monday the Crimeline reward is $10,000 and encouraged anyone with information about anything suspicious on Friday or Saturday, to call 1-800-423-TIPS.
MOUNT DORA, Florida—The man and woman found dead in their Waterman Village apartment New Year’s Eve were a married couple in their 80s and the incident is a homicide investigation, Mount Dora Police Interim Chief Michael Gibson said at a news conference Sunday afternoon.
The man, 83, and woman, 80, were found shortly after 4 p.m. Saturday when MDPD responded to a 9-1-1 call from security personnel regarding a “suspicious incident” at 161 Lake Margaret Circle, located inside Waterman Village, a senior living community, Gibson said.
“The circumstances surrounding their deaths is suspicious in nature,” Gibson told reporters. “But let me be clear, this is a homicide investigation,” he said, “so we’re all transparent and up front.”
Gibson asked the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for their assistance with the crime scene and forensics and FDLE Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Lee Massie was on hand for the press conference, along with Mayor Crissy Stile and City Manager Patrick Comiskey.
PHOTO: Marilyn M. Aciego/Inside Lake
Massie said FDLE is ready to assist in any way needed, “Obviously, the most important piece, I feel, will be our lab resources, the forensic science part of this,” he said.
In this reporter’s experience, it is uncommon for a local police agency to call in FDLE for assistance this early into an investigation.
Gibson gave very limited information, and most questions asked by reporters were answered with, “that’s part of the investigation.’
Stile stressed to residents they should not feel any less safe, however, officials would not confirm if the incident was a double murder or a murder/suicide “I want you all to be confident we live in a safe and strong and secure city,” Stile said.
Inside Lake asked Gibson if the community is in danger and he said, “No!” but there are no suspects in custody.
MDPD is asking anyone with information to call them at 352-735-7135 or Crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS. Crimeline tipsters may be eligible for a reward.
”We will absolutely come to a successful conclusion in this investigation,” Gibson said.
MOUNT DORA, Florida—Mount Dora Police Department is investigating the deaths of a man and woman who were found dead around 4 p.m. New Year’s Eve in an apartment at Waterman Village, according to City of Mount Dora Public Information Officer Vershurn Ford.
MDPD responded to a report of “potential suspicious activity” at Waterman Village, 150 Waterman Avenue, Mount Dora and found the man and woman dead at the scene. Their identities are not being released at this time. The area was secured as a crime scene and detectives responded to begin their investigation, Ford said. Lake County Sheriff’s Office CSI also assisted, LCSO Lt. Fred Jones said.
“Detectives will continue to investigate to determine the nature of the victims’ fatal injuries,” Ford said in a press release. “Investigators are following all leads”
Sources told Inside Lake early Saturday night that the pair was murdered; Inside Lake began reaching out to officials Saturday night and continued Sunday morning and they would not confirm or deny they were murdered.
If you have information, call MDPD at 352-735-7130.
