Vickie Williams sentenced to life in prison, avoids death penalty, in double murder case

LAKE COUNTY, Fla. - A Florida judge sentenced Vickie Williams to life in prison on Friday for the 2022 New Year's Eve double murder of a couple at a senior living facility in Mount Dora.

The judge's sentence followed the jury's recommendation of life in prison over the death penalty.

What we know:

Moments after the jury recommended Williams be sentenced to life in prison over the death penalty, the judge sentenced her to two life terms without the possibility of parole – to be served consecutively.

He also sentenced her to additional years for grand theft, as well as fines and court costs.

Williams did not appear to have a reaction to the jury's recommendation or to the judge's sentence. She stared ahead as both were read or announced in court.

What we don't know:

Williams will be turned over to the Florida Department of Corrections. It's not yet known where she will be housed to serve her sentence.

Prosecution vs. defense: the arguments

What they're saying:

"Vickie Williams deliberated between life and death when she grabbed the knives from the kitchen," said the assistant state prosecutor.

The prosecutor showed the jury pictures of the Getmans after they were killed, and pressed the jury to recall how many times each of them was stabbed, and where.

"What was going through Darryl Getman’s mind as he slid down the blinds in his kitchen onto the floor, most likely looking at his wife of 58 years also dying on the floor right in front of him?"

Williams’ defense attorney pleaded with the jury to weigh the mitigating factors that help explain the crime and potentially diminish her culpability.

She suffers from schizophrenia and brain damage that impact her decision-making and impulse control; she suffered from physical and emotional abuse and neglect as a child, with a father who also suffered from schizophrenia. She struggled in school, with an IQ a doctor acknowledged lies just above the mark for intellectual disability, the attorney said.

"Since coming back from the State hospital, once she was properly medicated, stabilized, she has always been incredibly remorseful for what she did," said Morris Carranza, assistant public defense.

"Should she be punished? Absolutely. No doubt about it, yes. But let her live. Let her spend the next decades of her life in that cement, cold building. Let her suffer because of her sins, but let her live."

Getman's adult kids remember their ‘zest for life’

The backstory:

Darryl and Sharon Getman’s children, Brittany and Anthony Getman, took the stand to deliver victim impact statements on Thursday.

"Mom and dad had a zest for life. They valued adventure, friendships, family, and tradition," daughter Brittany Getman said in court.

The couple moved to Mount Dora in 1997.

Anthony Getman spoke of his father's career as an engineer and an Army officer, and his mother's deep empathy, noting their $30,000 donation to a local hospital.

Brittany recalled speaking with them on Christmas Day in 2022 to plan a visit, only to receive the news days later that both had been killed in their home.

"It's impossible to express how dramatically my world has changed since my parents' murder," Brittany said.

What's next:

Williams has 30 days to appeal.