TAVARES, Fla.—The suspect in a brutal 2022 Mount Dora double murder is now competent to proceed, according to an order signed by Lake Circuit Judge Cary Rada last month.
Vickie Lynn Williams, 51, is accused of stabbing Darryl Getman, 83, and Sharon Getman, 80. The married couple was murdered in their Waterman Village home sometime between the hours of 11 p.m. Dec. 30, 2022, and 2 a.m. Dec. 31, 2022.
After allegedly murdering the couple, Williams stole their green Kia Soul and was still driving it when she was apprehended by a Savannah Police Department officer at a Georgia Amtrak station on Jan. 2, 2023. She was indicted later that month and prosecutors are seeking the death penalty in the case that shocked Lake County.
In May, Williams was found incompetent to proceed and turned over to the Department of Children and Families (DCF.) While in its custody, Williams was evaluated and a “Competency Evaluation Report to the Court” completed in September and authored by Dr. Armando Collado Ph.D., was submitted to the Court and independently reviewed by Rada.
“The defendant’s appreciation of the charges, appreciation of the possible penalties, understanding of the adversarial nature of the legal process, capacity to disclose to counsel facts pertaining to the proceedings, capacity to manifest appropriate courtroom behavior, and capacity to testify relevantly are all acceptable,” Rada stated in his order.
Williams next plea negotiation conference is scheduled for Tuesday.
TAVARES, Fla.—The woman suspected of brutally murdering an elderly Mount Dora couple “is incompetent to proceed” to her murder trial due to her mental illness, Lake Circuit Judge Cary Rada ruled earlier this week.
Vickie Lynn Williams, 51, is accused of stabbing Darryl Getman, 83, and Sharon Getman, 80. The married couple was murdered in their Waterman Village home sometime between the hours of 11 p.m. Dec. 30, 2022, and 2 a.m. Dec. 31, 2022.
After murdering the couple, Williams stole their green Kia Soul and was still driving it when she was apprehended by a Savannah Police Department officer at a Georgia Amtrak station on Jan. 2, 2023. She was indicted later that month and prosecutors were seeking the death penalty in the case that shocked the community.
Darryl and Sharon Getman were found murdered in their home Dec. 31, 2022.
A competency hearing for Williams was held earlier last week and employees at the Lake County Jail testified, in addition to two experts for the defense and one for the state. Dr. Jason Demery Ph.D., expert for the state, “expressed concerns the Defendant was malingering (faking mental illness,) and further stated he would not opine an individual is incompetent if they are malingering,” Rada’s order states, but also said he had no opinion because Williams “failed to produce reliable data,” by not participating in the interview.
“Dr. (Jeffrery) Danzinger opined the Defendant has no rational understanding of the outcomes and penalties of her case, and that she has partial factual understanding of the roles of officers of the court. Dr. Danzinger further opined that Defendant would not be able to relevantly testify because of delusional beliefs and her inability to accurately recall information. Dr. Danzinger also opined that Defendant’s ability to consult with counsel is substantially impaired.” He stated Williams is “not competent to proceed due to what is likely schizophrenia in exacerbation,” and she “should be involuntarily committed because she has been aggressive and violent in jail,” but also said it is “reasonably probable competency could be restored in 6 months,” the order states.
Vickie Lynn Williams is seen here in an earlier court appearance.
According to reports by Dr. Bushan Agharkar, also an expert for the defense, found Williams to be “mentally ill and urgent need of psychiatric hospitalization and treatment.” He testified he met with her at her cell door because she refused to meet in an attorney booth at the jail, and said Williams was wearing a suicide smock, had poor hygiene and there was liquid on the cell floor he believed to be urine. Williams did not appear to be bothered by the odor and denied it was urine, he said.
During the proceedings Williams mumbled to herself, stated her name was “Candace” and urinated on herself, her chair and the floor while handcuffed and shackled to the defense table. She was removed from the courtroom to clean herself up and she refused to change her clothes. Her attorney, Assistant Public Defender Morris Carranza waived her appearance for the rest of the hearing.
Lake Circuit Judge Cary Rada
On Monday, less than a week after the hearing, Rada rendered his decision. He stated in his order that he took all the testimony into consideration but “competent substantial evidence outweighs any concerns of malingering,” and ordered Williams be committed to the Department of Children and Families to be placed in a mental health treatment facility. He further ordered DCF to report directly to the Court on issues of competency and the need for continued commitment. Williams will remain in the treatment facility until a further order from the Court.
MOUNT DORA, Fla.—Three years ago, Mount Dora was rocked by the double murders of two beloved store owners who were staples in the community and the identity of the person or people responsible for their murders remains a mystery.
Minh “Tina” Nguyen, 47, and Khiem “Ken” Ba Trinh, 56, were shot around 9 p.m. Nov. 30, 2020, at their popular store, T & N Market, 1345 North Grandview Street, just a few blocks from Mount Dora Police Department. The couple was found behind the counter suffering from multiple gunshot wounds and Nguyen was pronounced dead on the scene. Trinh was airlifted to a Sanford hospital where he succumbed to his injuries just a few days later on Dec. 3, 2020.
Mount Dora Police Department released two surveillance videos showing the gunman’s movements; one was from an outside camera that showed a single gunman running across the parking lot and accosting Trinh at his gray Honda minivan and forcing him back into the store at gunpoint and later shows the gunman fleeing the building and parking lot. A second video from inside the store shows the suspect—dressed in all black—arguing with the couple and fleeing the store. The suspect’s voice can be heard in the second video and when it was released, then-Interim Chief Brett Meade asked the public to watch and listen carefully to help identify the killer. Video of the actual shooting was not released to the public.
Dozens of people attended a candlelight vigil and balloon release held at the store the day after the shooting and a block party was held in their honor several days after the murders. The store, a staple in the northeast community of Mount Dora, had been in business for more than 30 years and many of its patrons frequented the store since they were children. Today, the storefront is empty.
The couple was well-liked in the community they served; numerous people expressed their sorrow on social media in the days following the tragedy. They left behind two sons, Ryan and Vincent.
A reward of $10,000 was offered for information leading to an arrest quickly after the murders occurred, and is still available, three years later, but MDPD has never received the information it needs to make an arrest. MDPD Det. Gary Hutcheson said the key to solving the case is someone coming forward with what they know.
Inside Lake recently sat down with Hutcheson in a face-to-face interview to get an update on the case.
Mount Dora Police Detective Gary Hutcheson PHOTO: Marilyn M. Aciego/Inside Lake
Rumors have swirled for years, and several sources have told Inside Lake—as far back as just a few weeks after the murders—that a man well-known to Lake County law enforcement was responsible for the heinous crime. That man is currently serving a lengthy federal prison term for a gun charge, stemming from a case in another Lake County city. Inside Lake directly asked Hutcheson if he was the culprit.
“He was interviewed as part of this case, but I’ve never had enough probable cause to say he did it,” Hutcheson said. Inside Lake is not naming the man because he has not been charged in this case.
Based on the investigation, police believe the motive was robbery and a lack of physical evidence has been a major barrier in solving the case. It is unknown why the perpetrator murdered the couple in addition to the robbery, especially when he had completely disguised his appearance.
“He (the suspect) was covered head-to-toe, gloves, face mask, full head covering, all black. We don’t have any DNA nor touch DNA,” Hutcheson explained. Police did recover shell casings and projectiles but will not release the caliber of the gun. Tests have been performed on the evidence they do have, and surprisingly, does not match any other crimes MDPD is aware of.
There was no indication something like this might occur in the months leading up to the murders. There was a “neighborhood youth” the couple was apparently having some problems with, Hutcheson said, but there is not enough evidence to charge or clear the youth.
MDPD has received information that a getaway vehicle was waiting on Gorham Street, just one block from the store but police have never been able to verify it, Hutcheson said. There were no cameras on Gorham Street, but the exterior camera at T&N Market does show the suspect running through and out of the parking lot at an angle toward the area of Gorham Street following the crime.
Hutcheson said police have released all the information and evidence they can at this point. They do have persons of interest and have investigative leads they just cannot release because it is information only the police and the perpetrator or perpetrators would know. Releasing information too early could damage their case.
Hutcheson said cases like this are a joint effort and he appreciates the support he gets from other agencies. “I have to give a lot of kudos to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Every time we get a homicide, we give them a call and they show up in force,” Hutcheson said. “We couldn’t work these cases without their help.”
Mount Dora Police Department investigates after Minh “Tina” Nguyen, 47, and Khiem “Ken” Ba Trinh, 56, were shot around 9 p.m. Nov. 30, 2020, at their popular store, T & N Market, 1345 North Grandview Street. PHOTO: MDPD
In the months following the murders, the was a lot of community chatter about who may be responsible, but no one has ever given MDPD the information they need to close the case. Hutcheson said he has chased down leads when he hears someone may know something, but some people have just refused to speak with him. “We’re going to need somebody to come forward.”
“There are people in this community and the surrounding communities that I know, know something about this case and they’re just not coming forward,” Hutcheson said. “I know the persons of interest in this case have spoken to people and made admissions. We just have to get those people to come forward and tell us. If somebody directly tells somebody that they did something, we can use that.”
If you have information on the murders of “Ken and Tina,” call Crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS. Callers may be eligible for the $10,000 reward and can remain anonymous.
TAVARES, Florida—The woman accused of stabbing an elderly couple to death and stealing their SUV in December has been indicted by a grand jury for the crimes, State Attorney Bill Gladson announced Wednesday.
Vickie Lynn Williams, 50, of Savannah, Georgia is accused of brutally stabbing Darryl Getman, 83, and Sharon Getman, 80, to death sometime between the hours of 11 p.m. Dec. 30 and 2 a.m. Dec. 31. The Getmans’ bodies were found by Mount Dora Police Department after they received two 9-1-1 calls, with one caller stating two people had been killed, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Numerous bloody footprints and shoe prints were found inside the home on Lake Margaret Circle and in the garage where they normally kept their green Kia Soul. Police say Williams killed the elderly couple and stole the Kia, travelling first to South Carolina and then to Savannah, where she was apprehended by a Savannah Police officer at an Amtrak station on Jan. 2. She was still in possession of the Kia when she was taken into custody, the affidavit states.
Darryl and Sharon Getman were found murdered in their home Dec. 31.
When Williams was questioned, she told investigators she was given the Kia by a friend named “Fuller Blue.” She said was walking in Savannah Dec. 31 when “Fuller Blue” approached her. She told him she was homeless, and he offered her the Kia, she said. She drove around for “a bit” and then parked the Kia at the train station where she stayed for several days, she told investigators.
At the time of her arrest Williams had no known connection to the Getmans or Mount Dora, MDPD Interim Police Chief Michael Gibson said earlier this month, Williams was extradited back to Lake County Jan. 6 and is being held in the Lake County Jail on no bond.
Williams is represented by John Spivey of the Lake County Public Defender’s Office.
Publisher’s note: The following story contains graphic details. Reader discretion is advised.
MOUNT DORA, Florida—The Mount Dora couple found dead in their home in Waterman Village on New Year’s Eve was brutally stabbed and it was a gruesome and bloody scene, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Vickie Lynn Williams, 50, is accused of murdering Darryl Getman, 83, and his wife, Sharon, 80, sometime between the late hours of Dec. 30 and the early morning hours of Dec. 31. Williams was captured on video surveillance leaving Waterman Village property in the couple’s stolen green Kia Soul at 2:02 a.m. Dec. 31.
Darryl and Sharon Getman were found murdered in their home Dec. 31.
She was apprehended Jan. 2 in Savannah, Georgia, taken into custody and held in the Chatham County Jail in Georgia until she was extradited to Lake County Friday. Also, on Friday, Inside Lake uncovered video surveillance showing a woman who appears to be Williams interacting with Mount Dora Police officers at a local hotel on Dec. 30, just hours before the slayings.
On Dec. 31 just after 4 p.m., MDPD responded to two separate 9-1-1 calls and one caller stated two people had been killed, according to the affidavit. Officers arrived to find the garage door at 161 Lake Margaret Circle open and the couple’s SUV missing. Bloody shoe prints were observed on the garage floor and when officers enter the home, they found Sharon Getman in the entryway with a large amount of blood around her and several white towels, as if someone attempted to render aid or clean up, the detective noted in the affidavit. She suffered head trauma and lost a large amount of blood. Darryl Getman had severe head and facial trauma and a large butcher knife with a yellow handle was still in his abdomen when police found him; he also had defensive wounds.
Multiple knives were found around the kitchen area and numerous bloody footprints and shoe prints were found in the home and it appeared the suspect came out of her shoes during the attack, the detective noted. Crime scene investigators believed from the beginning there was only one attacker, and the attacker was female, due to the footprints that had a “very distinctive arch” the affidavit states.
A broken money clip with no cash was found on the center island in the kitchen, along with several credit cards. Sharon Getman’s wallet was found but her purse and cell phone were missing; the Getmans’ son told police his mother usually left her purse and phone in the Kia Soul, according to the affidavit.
“It appears the suspect attempted to clean up in the guest bathroom because there was a wet white and green in color washcloth with bloodstains and what appeared to be black, tight, curly hairs,” the detective noted in the affidavit.
Police viewed surveillance video from Waterman Village and an MDPD officer believed the suspect to be a local woman with an extensive criminal history. A BOLO (be on the lookout) was issued for the local woman, but when her photo was shown to several Waterman Village residents, no one picked her out of the lineup. Inside Lake is not naming the woman because she has not been charged in this case.
PHOTO: Marilyn M. Aciego/Inside Lake
The stolen Kia was picked up on license plate readers in Greenville, South Carolina and Hardeeville, South Carolina around 4:30 p.m. Dec. 31 and on Jan. 1 at around 6:45 p.m. a license plate reader hit on the Kia in Savannah, Georgia and again at 7:36 p.m., according to the affidavit.
An MDPD detective put a ping on Sharon Getman’s phone, and it pinged in several locations in Savannah. On Jan. 2, a Savannah Police officer located Williams and the Kia parked in a parking lot at an Amtrak station and she was taken into custody for grand theft auto without incident, the affidavit states.
A Savannah Police crime scene investigator processed and sealed the Kia and she found Sharon Getman’s purse, a coffee cup with what appeared to be a bloodstain and a similar stain on the outside of the vehicle; that stain contained a single strand of hair, the detective noted. A pair of white Puma slides, similar to the shoes Williams was wearing in surveillance video were found inside the Kia.
Two MDPD detectives and two Florida Department of Law Enforcement special agents traveled to Savannah to interview Williams on Jan. 3. She told investigators her name was “Victoreyah Coffee,” one of several aliases Williams has used in the past. Williams’ ex-husband’s last name is Coffee.
Williams told the special agents and detectives she was homeless and living out of a car and she was curious as to why Florida law enforcement officers were in Georgia. An FDLE special agent told her they were investigating the stolen vehicle she was located in.
Williams was read her rights and waived them and demanded a Georgia detective be present during the interview because she wanted everything “straight” between Georgia and Florida, the affidavit states.
Williams told investigators she was given the Kia by a friend named “Fuller Blue.” She said was walking in Savannah Dec. 31 when “Fuller Blue” approached her. She told him she was homeless, and he offered her the Kia, she said. She drove around for “a bit” and then parked the Kia at the train station where she stayed for several days, she told investigators.
She said in the interview, the two purses in the car belonged to her, along with the phone. She later changed her story and said her phone had been stolen on Dec. 29 or Dec. 30 and denied being in Florida or South Carolina. She was shown video surveillance from Waterman Village and said the shoes in the video looked like hers, “but lots of people have those shoes.”
Numerous items were taken for evidence, including jewelry, undergarments, clothing, a pink wig, tweezers, a watch and numerous DNA swabs.
Vickie Lynn Williams PHOTO: Chatham County Sheriff’s Office
Florida investigators requested a Canton, Ohio police sergeant contact Williams’ mother and son, who live in Canton, and they both identified Williams as the woman in the Waterman Village surveillance video and as the woman in custody in Savannah.
On Friday, an FDLE agent received a latent fingerprint report, and it identified a palm impression recovered from the Getman’s dryer as belonging to Williams; positively identifying her as being inside the couple’s home, the MDPD detective noted. Williams was extradited back to the Florida the same day and late that evening two charges of first-degree murder were added.
She made her first appearance in Lake County court Saturday, and she was ordered held without bond and appointed a public defender.
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.
