59-year-old woman found murdered in home near DeLand; person of interest questioned and released

DELAND -- The Volusia County Sheriff's Office has launched a murder investigation after a 59-year-old woman was found dead in her home near DeLand late Friday night with obvious signs of fresh trauma to her body.

Sheriff's deputies interviewed a "person of interest" in the killing who knew the victim, but he was released, agency spokesman Gary Davidson said this evening.

Deputies were dispatched to the victim's residence at 88 Melodie Lane just north of DeLand after receiving a 9-1-1 call at 10:35 p.m. Friday reporting that Margaret Gee had been found unresponsive and not breathing.

 

She was discovered in her bed by her roommates after they returned to their home in the Domingo Reyes subdivision from a night out with the younger of their two small children, an infant. 

The couple's older 19-month-old son was in the house with the victim at the time, but was unharmed. Paramedics pronounced the victim dead at the scene at 10:46 p.m.

The cause of death is not being released at this time due to the ongoing investigation being conducted by the Sheriff's Office's Major Case Unit, Davidson said.