A Golden Gate Estates man will spend the rest of his life in prison after intentionally running over his fiancée with his minivan, killing her, following a domestic dispute in 2022.
Video above: Man found guilty of killing fiancée
According to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, Circuit Judge Elizabeth Krier sentenced Donald Lee Whitaker, 53, to life in prison Monday. A jury found Whitaker guilty of second-degree murder following a four-day trial in October.
Deputies responded to a report of a possible domestic disturbance in the 1100 block of Dove Tree Street in Golden Gate Estates around 8:40 p.m. on Nov. 29, 2022.
Witnesses told deputies a woman was lying in the road while a minivan idled nearby. A passing driver stopped and asked the woman if she needed help. She was crying and curled up on the ground but declined help. The witness then called law enforcement.
Seconds later, the minivan accelerated and ran over the woman. Witnesses said Whitaker got out and attempted to lift her.
One witness told him to stop due to the severity of her injuries and stayed at the scene until help arrived.
Deputies performed CPR until paramedics arrived. The woman was taken to Naples Community Hospital North East with critical injuries and was pronounced dead shortly after arriving.
Whitaker told detectives the victim was his fiancée, and investigators said the couple had a history of domestic violence.