OCALA, FL (352today.com) – A life insurance policy, staged crime scene and the demise of a relationship.
A charged scenario that sounds like you might find it airing as the movie of the week. However, that would be a case of art mirroring real life.
On March 25, 2023, Timothy Smith, 59, was found dead in an apartment in Citrus Park, one that was shared by the deceased and his accused murderer, who was also his husband of eight years, Herbert Swilley, who was 55 at the time the crime was committed.
Jury selection is starting for the case, the was initially supposed to be tried back in March 2024, Swilley, now 57, was arrested by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office on Nov. 3, 2023, and was charged with first-degree premeditated murder with an additional charge of tampering with evidence in a criminal proceeding.
There was a history between the married couple, with the victim having been previously abused by the accused. Smith was drugged, then choked with the alleged fracturing the victim’s cervical spine. The accused stood to gain financially, as he was listed as the beneficiary in the victim’s life insurance policies, that totaled more than $333,000.
Apparently, the victim was close to securing a job in another market and would be relocating without his husband. Smith’s body was discovered after a wellness check. The accused had entered a not guilty plea.
Here are previous articles related to the case.
Ocala man says he’s ‘not guilty’ in murder of his husband – 352today
Husband of Ocala businessman Tim Smith arrested, charged with Smith’s murder – 352today