Jessica Winkler called 911 and told the operator she shot her wife, sheriff's report says.
ENGLEWOOD — A 48-year-old Englewood woman allegedly planned to bury her wife after shooting at their home in Englewood on Friday night.
But before Jessica Winkler went through with disposing of the body of 51-year-old Rhiannon Layendecker, she called 911 and told the operator she put the victim's body in the back of a truck.
Winkler has been charged with murder and tampering with evidence, according to the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office.
Deputies discovered the truck at Winkler's home, along with the body of Layendecker in the bed of the truck wrapped in a blanket with blood on it. She was dead.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Winkler called 911 at about 4 p.m. Saturday. She reported that she shot her wife, Layendecker, about 15 hours earlier inside their home at 1429 Overbrook Road.
Winkler told the operator where the could be found — the bed of her pickup truck — a maroon 2003 Dodge with Florida tags. Deputies took Winkler to the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office headquarters to be questioned.
Winkler and Layendecker lived together on Overbrook Road. The couple were involved in an argument during which Winkler got a gun and shot Layendecker, who died of a single gunshot wound, the medical examiner reported.
According to detectives, Winkler tried to cover-up the murder by moving the victim's body using a chair with wheels and throwing the gun into a body of water. It was determined that she was going to bury the Layendecker at a family home in Charlotte County.
A hole was located at the Charlotte County property and nearby residents told detectives they saw Winkler digging the hole.