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Florida Murder Houses



The 2004, The Grudge, a film about an American nurse living and working in Tokyo, where she is the victim of a mysterious curse that instills rage in an individual before claiming his/her life and spreading to another victim, made some realtors realize rising interest rates aren’t the only frightening aspect of home ownership. In addition to houses haunted by run-of-the-mill ghosts, who just don’t want to leave their earthly homes, there are also spirits of people who were murdered, who took their own lives and some who died in the grip of a terrible rage, who haven’t mellowed any in the afterlife. But just how much information about family ghosts, literal skeletons in the closet, suicides and murders must real estate agents reveal?



According to one Central Florida agent, when there’s a shortage of salable housing, “a house’s history of violence really doesn’t affect its value too much.” However, she added, “If the realtor is aware of a murder taking place in the house, he is obligated to disclose this.” But what if the agent doesn’t know? Sellers must document structural flaws and if he fails to admit a defect, he is responsible for repair costs. But murder and suicide have nothing to do with structural integrity and what may be a deal-breaker for one buyer, will appeal to others – there are people who like the idea of living in a haunted house. In the case of spirit-infested homes, seller liability – like the ghosts themselves – is a shade of grey.



Many buyers want all the gory details when they purchase a home and in Florida, they aren’t difficult to find. Most of the time, all one has to do is talk to neighbors. But if neighbors are new to the neighborhood, or aren’t forthcoming, a prospective buyer can request an “activity” report from the local police or sheriff’s office. These reports list all law enforcement activity in a particular neighborhood and this includes reports of what is usually described as a “deceased person,” which could mean anything from an old homeowner who died in his/her bed, to a violent murder or suicide. Murders are also often listed as “murder.” Although names aren’t listed on these reports, addresses are and it’s easy to ascertain who owned the house from the local Property Appraiser’s Office.



Although the violent crime rate in most Florida counties is negligible, those in cities with large minority populations – Broward, Dade, Duval, Hillsborough, Lee, Palm Beach, St. Lucie and Volusia – have higher murder rates. However, many of these murders occur in poor neighborhoods and, for the most part, go relatively unnoticed because they aren't widely-reported. Nevertheless, Florida has its share of well-known “murder houses”:



Deltona (2442 Coachman Drive). Built in 1987, this 3-bedroom, 2-bath, 1600-square-foot home (above) is surrounded by soaring longleaf pines on a pleasant, winding road. In 1996, it was owned by Michael and Panagiota “Yota” Garner. Michael Garner, 25, was embroiled in a bitter custody dispute with his ex-wife, Angelica “Angel” Garner – who had divorced him the year before – over their 2-year-old son Tyler. On the morning of Wednesday, August 7, 1996, Garner called Yota and told her Angel was dropping off Tyler. A while later, Yota called home and Garner informed her Angel had arrived and he would call her back. He called again around noon and this time, her husband sounded so distraught that Yota actually cried. When she and Vasha Vanhorn, her 9-year-old daughter, arrived home around 2:30 p.m., both noticed Garner was “white as a ghost.” According to Yota: “He looked in shock. I went in and tried to talk to him. He didn’t want to talk about it. He just sat there.” Garner left for work at approximately 3:20 that afternoon and did not return until 10 o’clock, at which time he said he wasn’t feeling well.



Angel Garner, 23 and nine months pregnant, was reported missing by her fiancé, Todd Schirer, the father of her unborn child. In addition to Tyler Garner, Angel also had a 4-year-old daughter. The following day, Yota received a call from a deputy at her family’s restaurant where she worked. He said Angel’s car had been found near the Garner home and that evening, Yota was interviewed by a Volusia County Sheriff’s investigator. She suspected her husband had something to do with his former wife’s disappearance.



Two days later, on August 10, Garner admitted to Yota he had accidentally shot Angel and she insisted he turn himself in to authorities. Later that day, law enforcement officers recovered the pregnant woman’s body from beneath a concrete slab Garner had poured behind the house. Autopsy revealed she had been shot in the back of the head. Garner was charged with first-degree murder in the death of Angel Garner and manslaughter in the death of her 9-month-old fetus. During trial, a psychologist testified that Michael Garner had an IQ of 82, functioned at the emotional and intellectual level of a 10-year-old and suffered from a learning disability, but knew the difference between right and wrong. Garner is currently serving a 30-year sentence.



The former Garner home sold for $68,000 in 2009.





Longwood (890 Georgia Avenue). In 2004, this 3-bedroom, 2-bath home was occupied by Gary and Andrea Williams and their children: Ilona, Ian and Ivey, ages 9, 6 and 5, respectively. The small house near Lake Wayman was no different than others in the subdivision. Some did notice that Gary Williams seemed to have difficulty keeping a job, but neighbors generally liked Andrea, who babysat neighborhood children and was generally considered a “good mom.” No one knew she had a history of mental illness. According to court records, in early January 2003, Mr. and Mrs. Williams had gotten into a fight during which she spat in his face and he pushed and slapped her. Gary Williams moved out of the home January 3.



More than a year later, on the morning of Tuesday, May 11, 2004, Gary Lee Williams notified police and began searching the house. When officers arrived, he told them his wife had been arrested in North Carolina and the children weren’t with her. When officers arrived, they noted the small house was neat and well-kept, but there was no sign of the children. Williams remained behind to change the locks and four hours later, he called police a second time. There was a trundle bed in one of the bedrooms and the corpses of all three children had been stuffed into the trundle. “I don’t know how she did it,” Chief Tom Jackson commented. “She had them wedged between the trundle mattress and the main mattress. Based on my experience, I would say they had been dead for days.” There were no apparent cuts, gunshots or other trauma to the bodies.



In the meantime, Andrea Williams, 32, admitted to North Carolina authorities that on Sunday, May 9 – Mother’s Day and two days before their bodies were discovered – she fed her children Xanax, then smothered them and crammed their bodies into the trundle.



Investigation revealed Andrea Williams had fallen in love with Ashley Bishop, a North Carolina woman she met on the Internet site “Women for Women.” According to Bishop, she and Andrea were kindred spirits: both had three children and rocky marriages. The two initially met in January 2003 at a parking lot in Charleston, S.C. Before long, Bishop was driving the 500 miles to visit Andrea in Longwood and during one of those visits, the women became lovers. In June of that year, Bishop and her three children relocated to Florida and moved into the Williams home, where they lived for four months. However, Bishop was forced to travel to North Carolina frequently because of legal matters involving her estranged husband and Andrea became jealous. As time passed, her jealousy turned into obsession and violence.



After Bishop returned to North Carolina, Andrew telephoned her in October 2003 and said: “Well, here’s what I’m going to do. You can feel guilty for it. I’m going to kill my kids, because they don’t need to suffer like I have, and then I’m going to kill myself.” Bishop contacted authorities in Longwood and Andrea was admitted to a mental health facility under the Baker Act. She was evaluated and released, but in November, she took prescription pain medication with alcohol in what was believed to be a suicide attempt and was Baker Acted a second time. Following the second incident, Gary Williams attempted to gain custody of the three children, citing his wife’s mental illness and hospitalizations, but without success.



Andrea Williams was arrested, charged with first degree murder and was facing the death penalty until November 2004 when she pled guilty to three counts of murder and was sentenced to three consecutive life sentences. She told the court that at the time she killed her children, she was under the influence of several drugs and had gone off her anti-depressant medication. She also claimed she felt she was no longer able to care for the children and thought they would be better off in heaven.



Following his wife’s conviction, Gary Williams sued his wife for alimony and support, claiming he hadn’t been able to work since the deaths of his children. Although Andrea Williams was indigent, he alleged she could pay him from her proceeds from the sale of the house, once it was sold. He also requested Andrea’s medical records from the facilities that treated her when she was Baker Acted with the intention of filing a lawsuit charging Andrea Williams had been misdiagnosed and/or released when she was still a danger to herself and others.



Gary Williams never sold the house. He is living there with his current wife, Deborah. The assessed value of the property is $83,598.





Winter Park (2911 Montifichet Lane). This 4-bedroom, 2-bath ranch-style house was built in 1963. It also has a pool and in 1975, the owner was Robert H. Barkan, a Navy veteran of World War II, who operated a carpet-cleaning business. On the evening of February 24, 1975, someone outside the kitchen window blasted Barkan with a shotgun, killing him instantly. No one was ever arrested for the murder. Following her husband’s death, Lynn Barkan rented the house to co-workers and ultimately sold it to them for $49,500. At the time, other houses of similar size with pools in the neighborhood were selling for around $65,000. The murder house was last sold in 1983 and is currently valued at $250,800.



Author: Graveyardbride.

Sources: Liz Randall, The Orlando Weekly; Purvette A. Bryant, Derek Catron, Robert Perez, Gwyneth K. Shaw and Gary Taylor, The Orlando Sentinel, and Seminole County Property Appraiser.