Authorities in Florida arrested a 40-year-old man after claiming he beat a 74-year-old woman to death, kidnapped and raped another woman, and then stuffed her in a large toolbox inside a shed.
According to Washington County Sheriff Kevin Crews, the horrific ordeal began around 10 p.m. on Sunday when the suspect, David Earl Gipson, knocked on the victims’ door.
The surviving victim responded, and Gipson allegedly told her that her husband and brother-in-law were “thieves” who owed him money, and he was coming to get it.
Gipson, who has a “trust no b—” tattoo on his chest, allegedly entered the home and began taking items. According to crews, Gipson then began beating the woman, striking her on and around the head before handcuffing her and stripping her clothes.
Gipson then allegedly focused his attention on the woman’s 74-year-old mother-in-law, Lettie Cooper Collins. Police allege that he began punching her as well.
According to the sheriff, when the victim last saw her mother-in-law alive, her eyes were swollen shut and her face was covered in blood.
Gipson allegedly kidnapped the younger victim, taped her mouth shut, and threw her into Collins’ PT Cruiser before driving away. According to police, he then drove her to his house and sexually assaulted her before threatening to kill her.
After the alleged assault, the defendant led her to a shed in the back of his property and forced her into a large toolbox. According to Crews, Gipson closed the box and stacked plywood and other debris on top to keep her inside.
“She was naked,” Crews revealed. “She’s still handcuffed and has duct tape around her mouth. He wrapped a rope around her neck and tucked her legs up underneath her. He treated her in the manner of a hog tie. She stated that she became extremely hot and thought she was going to suffocate and die.
Deputies believe she was trapped inside the toolbox for the majority of Monday before getting her feet under her and pushing it open.
“She got out of the shed and then ran for her life,” the sheriff said.
While still handcuffed, she used a tree to push the duct tape from her mouth before running to a nearby road and flagging down a motorist, who assisted her into his car and gave her a blanket, according to Crews. Around 5:20 p.m. on Monday, deputies responded to Douglas Ferry Road and assisted the woman.
She described the terrifying experience and instructed them to check on her mother-in-law. When deputies arrived at the house, they discovered Collins dead.
“She was beaten to a pulp,” Crews explained.
The medical examiner will determine the official cause and manner of death, he explained. Deputies arrested Gipson shortly after 1 p.m. on Tuesday.
He is accused of kidnapping, sexual assault, and aggravated battery. It’s unclear whether he has been charged with Collins’ murder. He is currently being held at the Washington County Jail without bond. His next court appearance is scheduled for June 2.
