MIAMI GARDENS, FLA. (WSVN) - Neighbors of a woman, who lives in Miami Gardens, called 911 after the homeowner told them disturbing details after she said she “snapped.”
Authorities on Tuesday confirmed that a body of a man was found in a shallow grave in the backyard of a Miami Gardens home.
Clio Trice, 50, is behind bars charged with second-degree murder after admitting to killing and burying the 81-year-old.
Neighbors are still processing the horrible act that occurred in their community.
“I’m still shocked; I can’t believe it happened,” said Alex Hughes, who lives next door to where the alleged killing happened. “She snapped, choking him to death and burying him in the backyard.”
“I don’t even know why she would do that,” said David Johnson, a neighbor. “Even if I didn’t live close, it would be kind of eerie to hear that, you know, somebody buried, and you see a piece of plywood over the hole.”
The Miami Gardens Police Department was dispatched to a home along the 200 block of Northwest 194th Terrace, after receiving 911 calls from neighbors, Monday.
A call came in about a woman who was inside the house, strangling an elderly man in house and then burying him in the backyard, according to police.
“The female is claiming she killed her husband…” said the 911 dispatcher.
According to court documents, a 911 caller “advised that his neighbor… had informed him that she had struck the victim in the head, strangled him until he died, and then buried him in the backyard.”
One neighbor recorded the scene on his cellphone and narrated what was occurring as crime tape was placed around the home and officers surrounded it.
“Reportedly that our neighbor killed her roommate, if you would, and did a burial in the backyard. It is confirmed by the crime scene detective and of course she was led away in handcuffs,” said the neighbor on video.
Neighbors told 7News the woman told them the incident occurred Friday and she waited until Monday to make the announcement to one of her neighbors, who lives across the street.
She is said to have apologized to her neighbors as she was placed in handcuffs and escorted in a police cruiser, along with confessing to the killing to officers.
“One of our neighbors, a couple blocks up the street allegedly told another neighbor she had committed a crime in terms of killing her roommate, strangling him and then buried him in the backyard,” said the neighbor, who recorded the video revealing details about the crime. “Up in time when she was going into the squad car she did turn to us and apologized for the embarrassment that she caused. Of course, it’s a very beautiful community. We have never experienced any of this from the time I’ve been living here.”
Miami Gardens Police were trying to obtain a search warrant earlier in the night. They’ve since acquired the search warrant and officers were seen working in the back yard with shovels.
Officers then “located a wooden plank on the east side of the residence. Upon removing the wooden plank, officers located what appeared to be a freshly filled grave,” according to the report.
They ultimately found the human remains.
The man in the home, according to neighbors, recently fell ill.
“He lost all his muscles. He’s really tiny because he is a skinny guy like myself,” said Hughes.
Police said that Trice and the man were dating, and they were having arguments that resulted in physical altercations.
Trice appeared before a judge Tuesday morning.
“There’s probable cause for the charge. I have to hold you with no bond,” said Judge Mindy S. Glazer.
Trice told them their dating relationship had turned more into one of “father” and “daughter,” as they regularly fought. She also said she had been planning on turning herself in.
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