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“I Loved the Old Nancy”: 80-Year-Old Man Confesses to Killing Wife After Years of Dementia Care Hell
On February 21, 2026, tragedy struck an elderly couple in Orange County, Florida, when 80-year-old William Elwood Simmons was charged with first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of his 83-year-old wife, Nancy Lee Simmons, inside their shared home on Romerly Court (or Raleigh Court, per some reports) in Orlando.According to the arrest affidavit and statements from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, Simmons himself dialed 911 shortly after the incident around 5:30 p.m., calmly telling the dispatcher that his wife “was down” and that he was “just sitting here.” When deputies arrived, they discovered Nancy lying face down in the kitchen with a pool of blood around her head and a single shotgun wound to her chest. She was pronounced dead at the scene.Simmons remained cooperative and confessed to officers on the spot. He explained that the shooting stemmed from an escalating argument in the kitchen over plans for a cruise trip. During the dispute, Nancy reportedly became upset, cursed at him repeatedly, and used a name he found deeply triggering. Overwhelmed, Simmons retrieved a shotgun from the bedroom closet, returned to the kitchen, pointed it at her, and fired once after telling her he “had enough.” He admitted, “I do know what happened, I did it.”In further statements to investigators, Simmons revealed the profound emotional toll of caring for his wife, who had been living with dementia for years. He described missing “the old Nancy”—the person she was before the disease changed her personality and behavior—and expressed that the ongoing challenges, including aggressive episodes like scratching, biting, or even grabbing the wheel while driving, had become unbearable. He told deputies he would “rather live in prison than continue dealing with her” in this state, underscoring years of built-up despair and exhaustion from caregiving.Simmons, a retired 25-year veteran of the Orlando Police Department who never discharged his firearm on duty or got into physical fights during his career, is now represented by criminal defense attorney Mark O’Mara. The attorney has described the case as one where his client simply “snapped” under the cumulative strain of dementia caregiving, emphasizing the need for psychiatric evaluation, review of medical records, and potential consideration of mercy given the context of despair rather than premeditated criminal intent.He remains held without bond in the Orange County Jail as the legal proceedings continue. The case has drawn attention to the immense, often hidden struggles faced by spouses and families caring for loved ones with advanced dementia, where support resources can sometimes fall short, leading to heartbreaking outcomes. While the facts are tragic and the charge serious, it highlights broader conversations about elder care, mental health support, and the limits of endurance in long-term relationships tested by progressive illness.
