LAKELAND, FL (FOX 13) - Investigators said the married woman accused of killing her boyfriend - whose body was found buried near the property where he lived - may have drugged him with Ambien and stolen money from his bank account after he died.
Victoria Collins, 58, made her first court appearance Wednesday. The retired postal worker is accused of killing her boyfriend, 65-year-old Gary Greenfield, who also rented a mobile home from Collins.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said Greenfield had not been seen in the neighborhood or at the mobile home for weeks.
But then a yard worker made a gruesome discovery.
Sheriff's affidavits show Greenfield's partially decomposed body was found with a knife nearby. Toxicology analysis showed Greenfield ingested a large dose of Ambien.
"And wouldn't you know it?" said Judd. "Victoria Collins just happened to have a prescription for Ambien."
Sheriff Judd said he believes Collins had to make a choice.
"It's obvious to us that Victoria Collins read a lot of murder mystery books," Grady explained. "So she had to choose. 'Am I going to kill my husband, or am I going to kill my boyfriend?'"
And a possible reason for choosing Greenfield, Judd said, was a $30,000 inheritance he received earlier this year. Sheriff's affidavits show Greenfield made a $31,000 deposit in June, into an account he shared with Collins.
Investigators said they later uncovered video of Collins making withdrawals from the account using Greenfield's debit card, rather than the debit card she was issued under her name for the account.
Judd said Collins went even further to throw detectives off her trail as they investigated Greenfield's death.
A Lakeland newspaper reporter said he left his number on Collins' door.
"And voila', Tomeka calls. And he's never given his cell phone to a Tomeka," Judd said.
Judd said Collins posed over the phone as Tomeka, a prostitute, telling Lakeland Ledger reporter Clifford Parody her boyfriend killed Greenfield.
"And the things she said on that phone call to Clifford Perry, only the murderer knew," Judd explained.
And the murderer, Judd believes, is Victoria Collins. He added Collins' husband was not aware Greenfield was renting the mobile home from his wife. Additionally, Collins and Greenfield, who was a registered sex offender, had a relationship since Collins was 16.
Victoria Collins is in the Polk County Jail with no bond. She will be arraigned on the first degree murder charges January 19.