Police said officers discovered the woman during a well-being check requested by family.
GROVELAND, Fla. — An 82-year-old Groveland man has been charged with first-degree murder after police said his 84-year-old wife was found dead from blunt force trauma inside their Lake County home Sunday night.
Groveland police said the case began around 9 p.m. April 19, when officers were sent to a home on Way Point Drive for a well-being check. The check was requested after relatives said they had not heard from the couple for several days.
Officers found Vincent DiFraia seated on a couch with what appeared to be blood on him, according to an arrest affidavit. Police said he had visible cuts on both arms that appeared self-inflicted. He was taken to Orlando Health South Lake Hospital for treatment before investigators questioned him.
Inside a bedroom, officers found DiFraia’s wife, identified in local reports as Evelyn Di Fraia, lying in bed. Police said a hammer was found near her body. Investigators reported blood on the victim, the walls and the ceiling. The medical examiner’s office determined she had been dead for more than 24 hours before officers arrived.
The affidavit said the woman had a large impact wound to the side of her head. Investigators also found dried blood in a sink, on the floor leading to a bathroom and on items in the kitchen trash. Police said the evidence led them to believe DiFraia killed his wife by striking her in the head with a hammer.
Family members told investigators the couple had frequent verbal arguments and that Evelyn Di Fraia had recently been in and out of the hospital as her health declined. Police also said they learned DiFraia had made comments about a possible suicide pact involving pills about a month before the death. Investigators have not said whether they believe that discussion was tied directly to the killing.
Neighbors described the couple as quiet and said the scene stunned the residential area. One neighbor told a local television station that officers, ambulances and fire trucks filled the street Sunday night. Another neighbor said the couple mostly kept to themselves and called the death difficult to process.
DiFraia was booked into the Lake County jail on a first-degree murder charge. Police said the investigation remains open while officials await final autopsy findings and additional forensic results.
Author note: Last updated April 24, 2026.