Family and friends remember Gregory Truman as a sweet, kind, and gentle man who loved his family. A 38-year-old White male, he was described by loved ones as a sweetheart who deserved a long and happy life. His life was cut short in Arcadia, Florida, on April 2, 2021.
That day, a 911 dispatcher in DeSoto County received a startling call from Gregory’s wife, 38-year-old Joni Truman.
“Yes ma’am, I just killed my husband,” she said, explaining that she had shot him multiple times with a 9mm pistol. When the dispatcher asked why she had done it, Joni replied, “I believe I’m insane.”
When deputies from the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the couple’s residence on NE Hollingsworth Street, Joni was waiting for them in the driveway. “You’re looking for me, I just killed my husband,” she told the responding officers. Inside the doorway of the apartment, deputies found Gregory deceased. He had been shot multiple times in the head, and shell casings were scattered around him.
Joni Truman was taken into custody and interviewed by detectives. She told them she had decided to kill Gregory while they were driving home from a trip to Sarasota. She claimed he was controlling and refused to grant her a divorce. According to her statement, she grabbed a gun to confront him, and he lunged at her. She said that is when she shot him four or five times.
Based on the evidence and her repeated confessions, Joni Truman was arrested and charged with first-degree premeditated murder. On January 9, 2024, she was sentenced for the crime. A judge ordered her to serve life in prison, plus two additional consecutive terms of 20.8 years, for a total of 41.6 additional years.
