A 29-year-old man who told Indian River County Sheriff’s officials in February he killed his 76-year-old grandmother was charged this month in connection with her death, the agency stated.
Nicholas Ivey was charged June 3 with murder following the slaying months earlier of his grandmother, Patricia Dibella, the sheriff’s office stated. Ivey had been held on other charges since February.
Ivey was arrested Feb. 3 on charges including grand theft auto; criminal use of personal ID information; possessing, receiving, retaining a stolen credit or debit card; and fraudulent use of a credit card, according to the sheriff’s office.
According to statements in Ivey’s earlier arrest affidavit, he said he killed her “by ‘snapping her neck’ and punching and stomping on her head while she was on the ground.”
Sheriff’s officials about 8:15 p.m. Feb. 2 went to a welfare check in the 5000 block of Fairways Circle, within the Fairways at Grand Harbor condominiums off Indian River Boulevard in Indian River County where the 76-year-old woman and Ivey live.
Investigators had been asked to check on the woman, who last had been heard from Feb. 1.
Statements in Ivey’s arrest affidavit, obtained Feb. 4, contain significant detail.
In the document, Robert Ivey reported his mother-in-law, 76-year-old Patricia Dibella, wasn’t answering the phone. He said his son, Nicholas Ivey, lived with her.
“Robert reported that Nicholas contacted him by telephone and told him Dibella was dead,” an affidavit states.
Nicholas Ivey was standing in front of one of the buildings and told investigators Dibella was dead inside.
A sheriff’s corporal found a woman on a bed in the master bedroom.
“Patricia, can you wake up?” the corporal said.
There was no response, and she was determined to be dead.
Nicholas Ivey was taken into custody, and told investigators “she came at me with a knife.”
At one point Nicholas Ivey told a detective “he killed his grandmother,” the affidavit states.
He said Dibella “poked” him in the back with a kitchen steak knife with a white handle.
Nicholas Ivey said about 9 p.m. Feb. 1 “he killed Patricia by ‘snapping her neck’ and punching and stomping on her head while she was on the ground,” the affidavit states.
He said he moved the body from the kitchen floor to the bed, using towels to clean the kitchen floor and putting the knife in a kitchen drawer.
He said he was wearing the sweatshirt he used when he killed Dibella, but washed it “because it was covered in blood.”
Nicholas Ivey also said he washed the towels he used to clean blood off the kitchen floor.
Case update: St. Lucie County burglary suspect ‘hooked’ on meth; says his money funds drugs
More details: Stuart teen cites boredom as reason behind vehicle thefts, burglaries
Nicholas Ivey said he didn’t call 911 because he wanted first to speak with his father to decide what to do.
Nicholas Ivey also said he took Dibella’s wallet and credit cards and about 11 a.m. Feb. 2 drove her vehicle to buy cigarettes and beer with her credit card.
“Nicholas returned home and later made contact with his father, Robert, informing him he killed Dibella,” the affidavit states.
Will Greenlee is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm. Follow Will on X @OffTheBeatTweet or reach him by phone at 772-267-7926. E-mail him at will.greenlee@tcpalm.com.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Florida man charged with grandmother’s death; said he snapped her neck