Waterman Village

ONLY ON INSIDE LAKE: Woman Bearing Striking Resemblance to Person of Interest in Murders of Elderly Couple Interacted with Mount Dora Police at Hotel Hours Before Slayings; City Refuses to Confirm or Deny Her Identity

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.

ONLY ON INSIDE LAKE: Woman Bearing Striking Resemblance to Person of Interest in Murders of Elderly Couple Interacted with Mount Dora Police at Hotel Hours Before Slayings; City Refuses to Confirm or Deny Her Identity Read More »

Children of Murdered Elderly Mount Dora Couple “Stunned, Devastated and Heart-Broken”

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.

Children of Murdered Elderly Mount Dora Couple “Stunned, Devastated and Heart-Broken” Read More »

Police Release Names of Married Couple Found Murdered in Senior Living Community New Year’s Eve, Person of Interest in Custody, Mount Dora Police Chief Says

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.”

Police Release Names of Married Couple Found Murdered in Senior Living Community New Year’s Eve, Person of Interest in Custody, Mount Dora Police Chief Says Read More »

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