A retired school bus driver in Lake County has been arrested for the murder of his wife, who officers found dead with blood splattered everywhere around her.
Officers received a call concerning the well-being of 82-year-old Vincent Di Fraia and his wife at their Groveland home around 9:05 p.m. Sunday, according to an arrest report from the Groveland Police Department. Another married couple had not heard from the wife since Tuesday, April 14, and were worried due to the pair’s elderly age and the wife’s ongoing health issues.
The couple gave the officers a spare key, and they walked into the residence to find Di Fraia sitting on the couch with what looked like blood covering his shirt and the couch. He stared vacantly as the officers observed cuts on both of his arms that looked self-inflicted. He was then transported to Orlando Health South Lake Hospital, located at 1900 Don Wickham Dr., Clermont, for further evaluation and treatment, the report said.
Law enforcement proceeded toward the bedroom, where they found the wife lying on the bed with a hammer beside her. Blood had splattered on the bed, as well as the surrounding walls and ceiling, the report said.
During the investigation that followed, the wife of the other married couple advised that Di Fraia’s wife had previously discussed a possible suicide pact involving the use of pills about a month ago, the report said.
Detectives also obtained a search warrant and located a knife, with what appeared to be blood on it, on the living room table, where the officers found Di Fraia. Another knife was discovered in the back bedroom. Di Fraia had made attempts to cut his wrists with a knife before the officers got there, but it is unknown when this happened, the report said.
Crime Scene Investigations and the Medical Examiner’s Office responded to the scene, as well. They determined that the wife had been dead for over 24 hours based on the coagulation of blood and the presence of lividity. They also observed a large impact wound to the right side of her head, the report said.
The scene itself had blood splatter on the walls and ceiling. The pattern and distribution of the blood appeared consistent with cast-off splatter, indicating that an object may have been repeatedly swung in a way that projected blood in those areas, the report said.
A second bathroom in the home seemed to have been recently cleaned. Additionally, dried blood was found in the back bedroom, and napkins with possible blood were discovered in the bathroom sink. Blood was observed in the sink and on the floor leading toward the toilet. It was further observed that what appeared to be bloody items sat in the kitchen trash can, along with blood near the kitchen sink area, the report said.
Di Fraia was arrested at the hospital on charge of premeditated murder in the first degree. The Massachusetts native was booked at Lake County Jail without bond. He will appear in court on May 18.