Deputies say an Orlando-area husband admitted shooting his wife after a fight in their kitchen.

ORLANDO, Fla. — An 80-year-old Florida man is charged with first-degree murder after deputies say he shot and killed his 83-year-old wife during an argument about whether to go on a cruise, then told investigators he did it when they arrived at the home.

The case drew swift attention in central Florida because investigators say the suspect, William Elwood Simmons, called for help himself, confessed at the scene and later described long-running strain tied to his wife’s dementia. The woman, Nancy Lee Simmons, was found dead in the kitchen of the couple’s home in the 8000 block of Romerly Court in Orange County. Simmons was jailed without bond as homicide detectives moved the case into the court system.

Deputies were sent to the home about 5:15 p.m. on Feb. 21 after a caller reported that his wife was down and could no longer speak, according to the arrest affidavit. When deputies reached the house, investigators say, Simmons was in the garage and waved them over. Asked what happened, he answered plainly. Deputies quoted him as saying, “I do know what happened, I did it.” Inside, they found Nancy Simmons on the kitchen floor with a gunshot wound. A shotgun was on the floor nearby, and investigators reported finding one spent shell casing. Prosecutors have not said that anyone else was inside the home when the shooting happened, and authorities have not released details about whether neighbors heard the blast or saw deputies arrive.

During a later interview, detectives said Simmons admitted that he and his wife had been arguing in the kitchen about going on a cruise. According to the affidavit, he said Nancy Simmons cursed at him several times during the fight. Detectives wrote that Simmons then went to a bedroom, took a shotgun from a closet and returned to the kitchen. He told investigators that he had enough and then fired once. Deputies said he also told them his wife did not try to hurt him, that he was not acting in self-defense and that he was not under the influence of drugs. Nancy Simmons was pronounced dead before 8 p.m. Authorities have not released any defense statement, and court records available in news reports did not show any public explanation from Simmons beyond the statements summarized by investigators.

The killing happened inside an east Orange County residential neighborhood, and the basic facts moved quickly from a sheriff’s office death investigation to a murder filing. Nancy Simmons was 83. William Simmons was 80. Local television reports identified him as a former Orlando police officer who served from 1975 to 2000, a detail that added another layer of attention to a case already marked by the age of the couple and the account of dementia inside the home. The affidavit says Simmons told investigators he loved “the old Nancy” and had dealt with her dementia for too long. Authorities have not released medical records, and the sheriff’s office has not publicly provided more detail about her condition, how advanced it was or what kind of care she had been receiving before the shooting.

Procedurally, the case now stands in a familiar but serious posture for Florida homicide prosecutions. Detectives secured a first-degree murder charge, and Simmons was booked into the Orange County Jail. Local reports said he was held without bond after a court appearance shortly after his arrest. A first-degree murder case in Florida can involve several stages, including formal filing decisions by prosecutors, discovery, hearings on evidence and a decision on whether the defendant will seek a plea or move toward trial. It is not yet clear from the public reporting whether prosecutors will pursue any lesser-included theory, whether mental competency will become an issue because of the defendant’s age or whether defense lawyers will challenge the charge level. The next milestones are likely routine court dates, appointment or appearance of counsel if not already complete and further release of records through the court file.

Beyond the charge itself, the scene described by deputies was stark and intimate. This was not a public attack, a roadside shooting or a case built on a long manhunt. It was, according to investigators, a husband and wife in their own kitchen, arguing over travel, with years of marriage and illness behind them and one shotgun blast ending the confrontation. The language deputies attribute to Simmons was blunt and personal, and his statements were central to the early case narrative. Officials have not identified any eyewitnesses to the shooting itself. They also have not said whether family members had raised earlier concerns, whether there had been prior calls to the house or whether detectives recovered notes, digital messages or other records that could show the couple’s state of mind before Feb. 21.

The case remained at the charging stage as of March 21, with Simmons jailed and prosecutors expected to continue building the file ahead of future court proceedings in Orange County.

Author note: Last updated March 21, 2026.