911 call released in case of Silver Springs woman choked to death with telephone cord

SILVER SPRINGS, Fla. — The roommate of a 61-year-old Marion County woman deputies say was choked to death with a telephone cord called authorities after she didn't hear from the woman for eight hours, according to a 911 call.

Eric Gay, 36, was arrested Sunday on charges of first-degree murder after deputies said he killed Laura Russell while stealing her prescription medications and cash.

The roommate tells dispatchers that she last saw Russell with Gay after he spent the night at their Silver Springs home.

She said she confronted Gay after she didn't hear from Russell for hours and told her that Russell should have been at home with her.

"I said, 'No, she's not Eric, you better tell me where she's at.' He said she's OK, she's home. But she's not," she said on the 911 call.

A judge denied Gay bond Monday morning.

Deputies said Russell's body was discovered in the trunk of her car on Southeast Fourth Place in Silver Springs.

Witnesses told detectives that Gay had taken Russell’s car to his Northeast 167th Terrace home after he had spent the night at her home, an arrest report said.

While at Russell’s home Saturday, Gay sneaked into her bedroom while she was sleeping to steal her prescriptions and cash only to have her wake up and catch him, detectives said.

He then started choking Russell until she was unconscious and wrapped her body in a sleeping bag, believing she was dead, according to detectives.

Detectives said when Russell started to wake up later, Gay beat her with a large flashlight in an attempt to kill her before choking her to death with a phone cord.

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He then placed Russell's body in the trunk of a car and drove her body to his home, detectives said.

Stacy Brigman, the suspect's friend, said Gay had been living on his property in a camper for about three weeks. He said Gay is related to his ex-wife and recently moved to the area from West Virginia.

"Meeting the man, working with the man, you would think he's a good guy," said Stacy Brigman, Gay's friend. "You would never have thought that."

Russell's roommate asked Brigman to return the car later Sunday. He said he called 911 after finding Russell's body.

"As soon as I see her foot, I didn't need to look no further," Brigman said. "I want him to sit in his cell for the rest of his life with no one around him and think about what he did to that lady."

Gay told deputies he's a methamphetamine addict, but they said they didn't test him to see if he was high.

On Monday, Gay told a judge he has no income and will need a public defender. His next court appearance is scheduled for July.

Cox Media Group