Grandma found dead in bedroom with unconscious ‘extremely controlling’ boyfriend she planned to leave: Sheriff

A woman was discovered dead in the bedroom of her Florida home, and her boyfriend, who was unresponsive in the same room, is now accused of murder, police said.

On Sept. 22, a relative requested a wellbeing check on Elizabeth Crisanti, 62, after she failed to pick up her grandchildren from school. When the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office arrived at her Ormond Beach residence just after 3 p.m.

When Crisanti didn’t answer the door, a family member with a key let deputies inside and the victim was found in her bedroom dead from “sharp force injuries,” according to authorities.

Cristani was allegedly stabbed to death, Orlando television station WESH reported, citing family members.

In the room, deputies also discovered Crisanti’s boyfriend, 61-year-old Nelson Rivera, who was alive but unresponsive, and Rivera was transported to Advent Health Hospital. “It appeared he may have overdosed on prescribed medication,” the sheriff’s office said.

“The investigation into Crisanti’s murder revealed evidence that she was fearful of Rivera, who was described as extremely controlling, and that she was planning an exit strategy from the relationship,” the sheriff’s office said.

Detectives allegedly found signs of a struggle at the crime scene, but there was no indication of forced entry.

On Sept. 26, Rivera, who regained consciousness, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in connection to Crisanti’s death. He was booked into the Volusia County Branch Jail, where he is being held without bond.