Friend arrested for murder 24 years after gruesome murder of woman in Florida

A man has been arrested and charged in connection with the murder of his girlfriend 24 years ago. She was found lying half-naked and with horrific injuries on a concrete slab.

Gary Durrance, 73, the “longtime friend” of Sherry Holtz, who was brutally murdered in 1999, has been charged with first-degree murder, Sanford police announced in a press conference Friday.

“We are absolutely certain that the right man is behind bars tonight,” said Bianca Gillet, police spokeswoman. “And he will finally face justice and have to answer for his crimes.”

Holtz’s body was found in a wooded area in Sanford, Florida, on Dec. 4, 1999, while someone was out collecting cans, police said.

The 50-year-old woman was lying on her back on a concrete slab; her next cut – which was probably the main cause of death – was caused by blunt force trauma to the head and she was strangled, police said.

In addition to the gruesome condition of her body, police also found cuts on her upper body and signs of sexual assault.

Holtz’s clothes were ripped off, leaving most of her body exposed, Gillet said.

Gillet said there was no other way to describe the woman’s death than “brutal murder.”

Although a sexual assault kit was used when her body was discovered, no DNA evidence was found.

A blood-stained knife was also found at the crime scene, but this was not helpful in identifying the perpetrators because the weapons samples were “not large enough for an investigation,” according to authorities, police said, adding that the search for DNA evidence was not as intensive as it is today.

Because of these initial failures in identifying the perpetrator, the case stalled and the person behind Holtz’s brutal murder remained unknown for nearly a quarter of a century.

As time went on and technology and DNA testing advanced, the unsolved case was reopened in May 2023.

At this point, investigators learned that the blood on the blade of the knife found was actually Holtz’s.

They then discovered that additional DNA on the handle also came from Durrance – a key piece of evidence that led to his arrest over 20 years later.

Durrance was a suspect in the initial investigation in 1999 after Holtz’s body was found. Police discovered that Holtz and Durrance had argued and that Durrance had thrown his girlfriend out of their shared home two days before she was found dead.

The couple had experienced cases of domestic violence in the past, dating back to 1996.

Based on this new evidence and witness statements, an arrest warrant was issued on July 17.

The man was tracked down and arrested on July 18 before being charged with first-degree murder. He is currently being held in the Seminole County Jail.

Police claimed at the press conference that Durrance had “admitted his involvement in the murder to some extent.”

“We just hope this brings some peace to the family, knowing that this man they were with for a long time is now going to spend the rest of his life in prison,” said Police Chief Cecil E. Smith. “And he will have the opportunity to face justice for the things he did to Sherry.”

Police added that Holtz has an adult son whom they are still trying to locate and contact to inform him of the arrest.