FLORIDA – A 42-year-old Florida man is facing a premeditated murder charge after he allegedly shot and killed his father-in-law — an elderly man who had been showing signs of dementia for months — in the family’s kitchen late Tuesday night.
Shaun Simon told investigators he retrieved a concealed firearm and shot Bill Toth after learning that Toth had struck his wife earlier that evening, according to an arrest report. Toth was found bleeding on the kitchen floor and was transported to a nearby hospital, where he died hours later.
Simon’s wife, Jennifer Simon, who is Toth’s daughter, and Toth’s wife, Carol Toth, both reported hearing a “loud bang” before discovering the victim on the floor. The firearm used in the shooting had been hidden beneath a dog ramp inside the home, investigators said.
During questioning, Simon confessed to the killing and told detectives that his father-in-law had made his “life miserable.” He described Toth as a “narcissist” and said he made the decision to shoot him after learning about the alleged slapping incident involving Carol Toth.
Authorities noted that Toth had been displaying symptoms of dementia for several months before his death, raising questions about the circumstances that led to the fatal confrontation. The family had been living together in the home at the time of the shooting.
Simon has been ordered held without bond. A judge prohibited him from making contact with his mother-in-law, Carol Toth, though he is still permitted to communicate with his wife.
The case is being prosecuted as first-degree premeditated murder, suggesting investigators believe Simon’s actions were deliberate rather than a spontaneous response to the alleged domestic dispute.
