Inset: William Elwood Simmons (Orange County Jail). Background: The 8000 block of Romerly Court in Orlando, Florida, where Simmons allegedly shot his wife to death (Google Maps).
An 80-year-old Florida man shot his 83-year-old wife who suffered from dementia during an argument about going on a cruise, later telling cops he'd rather sit in a jail cell than deal with her, authorities say.
William Elwood Simmons is facing a charge of first-degree murder in the death of Nancy Simmons. The Orange County Sheriff's Office responded around 5:15 p.m. Saturday to a home in the 8000 block of Romerly Court in Orlando after a caller said his wife "was down and I'm just sitting here," a probable cause arrest affidavit said.
Deputies say that when they arrived at the home, they saw William Simmons waving them down in the garage. They asked him what happened.
"I do know what happened, I did it," he said, per deputies.
Asked if there were any weapons in the house, he allegedly said "well, one on the floor; I put it there."
Cops entered the home and found the victim in the kitchen dead from a gunshot wound. There was also a shotgun on the floor with a spent shell casing, deputies wrote.
The suspect was taken to a police station, where detectives interviewed him.
"He stated he was guilty and he shot his wife," the affidavit said. "He confirmed they were in the kitchen arguing over going on a cruise. Nancy told him multiple times 'fâ you, you bastard' which triggered Simmons."
William Simmons then went to his bedroom, grabbed a shotgun from the closet and came back to the kitchen. His wife again said "fâ you, you bastard" and he shot her one time, per cops. He later said that he had dealt with her dementia for "far too long" and that he loved "the old Nancy, and that he would rather live in prison than to deal with her."
The suspect remains at the Orange County Jail without bond.