Florida woman accused of murdering husband in 'Dateline'-type case

Charles Singer found dead at Bunnell home in April

Dorothy Singer was arrested in connection with the shooting death of her husband Charles Singer.

BUNNELL, Fla. – The wife of a legally blind Flagler County man was arrested Monday on murder charges after his body was found at their Bunnell home last month in a case described by officials as a "Dateline"-type episode, WKMG reports.

Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said Dorothy Singer, the wife of 48-year-old Charles Singer, was arrested on a charge of first-degree murder as she was planning to fake her death and flee Florida.

Recommended Videos



Staly said she was arrested on State Road A1A in neighboring St. Johns County, where she was booked into jail.

Charles Singer, also known as Butch, was reported missing by his sister on March 23, but had not been seen since February, deputies said. A cadaver dog found Charles Singer's body April 7 on his property, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.

“She made a bunch of inconsistent statements that led us to where we are today,” a detective said.

Staly said Charles Singer's body was found wrapped in material and placed under a Jon Boat that was covered with tree debris and limbs.

"Moth balls were used to cover up the smell and tree debris limbs were piled on top of this Jon Boat and not in a natural way," Staly said. "There was a lot of attempts by our suspect to cover up this crime and we have lots and lots of evidence."

Staly said Charles Singer was shot four times in the head and once in the chest. Staly said it's believed that the shooting took place in the master bedroom. A gun believed to have been used in the homicide has been recovered, he said.

Deputies had previously been called to the home twice, but neither were for domestic-related incidents, Staly said.

Dorothy Singer, 52, has two other ex-husbands, one of whom died suddenly at the age of 38 in Putnam County and was cremated, Staly said. He said he has encouraged authorities there to look further into that case. Details about her other husband are not known.

Others were living at the Singers' home, but their names have not been released. Staly said detectives continue to investigate the case.

Staly repeatedly credited his detectives for their work in the case.

"We went from a missing person case to proving it was a murder to making an arrest," he said. "This case was made for a ‘Dateline’-type of show."


About the Author:

Daniel started with WKMG-TV in 2000 and became the digital content manager in 2009. When he's not working on ClickOrlando.com, Daniel likes to head to the beach or find a sporting event nearby.