Terrance Gibson, a 59-year-old African American man from DeLand, FL, was tragically shot to death on January 31, 2019. The incident occurred in an open lot on West Euclid Avenue, where Gibson was found lying on his side in a pool of blood. According to police reports, a masked man approached Gibson while he was sitting at a table, leaned over, and shot him four times in the back before fleeing the scene.
This brutal murder was later revealed to be part of a premeditated plot orchestrated by Gibson's stepdaughter, Myesha Williams, and her boyfriend, Perry Stanley Sr.
Myesha Williams, a 31-year-old woman, was arrested and charged with first-degree premeditated murder. Investigators discovered that Williams had increased Gibson's accidental death insurance policy from $25,000 to $750,000 just two weeks before the killing. Williams had a history of criminal activity, including previous arrests for robbery and burglary. On the day of the murder, Williams had driven Gibson to visit his deceased wife's grave at a nearby cemetery. Evidence showed that Williams had been in contact with Stanley shortly before the shooting, and a discarded cell phone found at the scene linked Stanley to the crime.
Perry Stanley Sr., a 43-year-old man from Apopka, was identified as the suspected shooter. He was already in jail on unrelated charges of armed burglary, robbery, and aggravated battery with a firearm when he was charged with first-degree murder in connection with Gibson's death. Witnesses reported seeing Stanley use a car to travel to DeLand on the day of the killing, and forensic analysis of the cell phone found at the scene showed that Stanley had called Williams seven minutes before the shooting. Stanley was extradited to the Volusia County Branch Jail, where he was held without bail.
The investigation revealed that Williams had orchestrated the murder to collect the insurance payout. She had even gone as far as having someone impersonate Gibson to confirm the policy change with the insurance company. Despite her attempts to cover her tracks, the evidence against Williams and Stanley was substantial, leading to their arrests and charges. The case highlighted the lengths to which individuals might go for financial gain, resulting in a tragic loss of life.
