A great-grandmother in central Florida was arrested after she was caught carrying out an apparent murder-suicide plot that involved her disabled great-granddaughter.
The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office shared in a news release that deputies started looking for Deborah Collier around 4:20 p.m. on Monday, December 29, after her family discovered a suicide note that she left behind at home.
The great-grandmother’s car was spotted by a deputy near Seville, Florida, and she was pulled over for a well-being check. Behind the wheel was Collier, 69, cops said, and next to her in the front passenger seat was her 13-year-old disabled great-granddaughter, who police allege was unconscious.
Collier reportedly told one of the deputies that the girl was fast asleep. However, the news release stated that the deputies discovered white pill residue on the girl and realized that she was “totally unresponsive to stimulus.”
It was later discovered that the girl ingested pills Collier had allegedly fed her in an attempt to kill her, according to the sheriff’s office. The girl was quickly airlifted to an Orlando-area hospital for treatment before she was transferred to a pediatric ICU. As first responders were leaving with the girl to get her medical help, authorities remained at the scene with Collier as they continued to investigate the nearly fatal incident.
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Deputies said they searched Collier’s purse, where they found prescription medication bottles and another suicide note. The typed note reportedly “indicated Collier was ending her and her great-granddaughter’s lives due to the stress [they] caused to the rest of the family.”
Detectives went on to share that they learned the teen girl “requires comprehensive, 24-hour care due to her disabilities.” The young girl had brain damage that was caused by her mother’s drug use during pregnancy. She also reportedly had cerebral palsy that had made it difficult for her to live an independent life.
Collier and her husband have been the girl’s sole guardians since she was born. In light of the overwhelming responsibility, Collier reportedly found that the “constant demands of caretaking have contributed to significant stress in the family.”
The great-grandmother seemingly came up with the plot because she didn’t want to put the girl into an assisted living facility. Collier allegedly “believed that no one would care for her like family,” according to the sheriff’s office.
“In her desperation due to these hardships, Collier made a plan to end her great-granddaughter’s life followed by her own,” the sheriff’s office explained in a Facebook post written on December 30.
The arrest affidavit stated that the suspect intentionally gave her own great-granddaughter medication that contained Amphetamines as well as Benzodiazepines, according to WESH.
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Collier has since been arrested and police charged her with attempted first-degree murder. She is being held without bond at Volusia County Branch Jail, according to online court records viewed by Us Weekly.
It is not currently clear if Collier has obtained legal representation or entered a plea to the charge she faces.
If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or considering suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
