Overview
- William Elwood Simmons, 80, is held without bond at the Orange County Jail on a first-degree murder charge in the Feb. 21 shooting death of his wife, Nancy, 83, at their Orlando home.
- An arrest affidavit says Simmons confessed at the scene after a dispute about a cruise, retrieved a shotgun from a bedroom closet, returned to the kitchen, and fired a single round.
- Deputies found Nancy unresponsive with a gunshot wound next to a shotgun and one spent shell casing, and Simmons told investigators he was sober and not acting in self-defense.
- According to the affidavit, Simmons said he had dealt with his wife’s dementia for too long, loved “the old Nancy,” and would rather live in prison than continue caring for her.
- Attorney Mark O’Mara, who says Simmons is a 25-year veteran of the Orlando Police Department, says the defense will seek a psychiatric evaluation and review of Nancy’s medical records.