An Ocala man was arrested early Sunday morning after a woman’s body was found in the trunk of her car in Silver Springs.
Eric Todd Gay, 36, was charged with first degree murder after witnesses found the victim’s body wrapped in a green sleeping bag in the trunk of her black Volkswagen outside her home, located in the 12900 block of SE 4th Place, a Marion County Sheriff’s Office report states.
The victim’s roommate told deputies that Gay had taken the car to his camper, parked at 1660 NE 167th Terr., after spending Friday night at their home. She said she made contact with him later Saturday and he told her the victim had already returned home, the report says.
The roommate said she later texted another woman who was at Gay’s camper and asked her to bring the victim’s car back home, which she did.
During the course of the investigation, detectives determined that Gay had awakened around 6 a.m. Saturday and gone into the victim’s bedroom to steal some of her prescription medicine. During the theft, the victim woke up and Gay choked her until she was unconscious, the report says.
Detectives believe Gay thought he had killed the victim, so he wrapped her body in his sleeping bag. But when she started to regain consciousness, he struck her with a large flashlight and also cut a telephone cord that he used it to choke her again, the report says.
Afterwards, Gay put the victim’s body in the trunk of her car and drove to his camper, the report says. He also attempted to conceal the crime by wiping up blood near the front door of the residence and taking some items he considered incriminating, the report adds.
Sheriff’s officials said that after being arrested, Gay admitted to being addicted to methamphetamines and said he was trying to steal fentanyl patches and $200 from the victim’s purse when she woke up.
Gay was transported to the Marion County Jail and is being held without bond. The name of the victim is being withheld until pending notification of next of kin.