Investigation of fatal shooting at Indian River County golf club outlined in report

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY – Law enforcement records show a woman charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of a 57-year-old golf course manager called 911 and told emergency dispatchers, “I just shot my boyfriend,” before her arrest Monday evening.

When deputies arrived at the American Golf Club complex within the Vista Royale condominium complex, Donna Smith, 49, was still on the phone with emergency dispatchers standing outside her real estate office. The office is also located at the golf club property managed by Jeffrey Simmons, according to an Indian River County Sheriff’s Office arrest affidavit.

A court document provided a summary of Smith's reported statements on her 911 call.

Asked by dispatchers if her boyfriend was still breathing, according to the affidavit call summary, she said, “No, he’s dead.” When asked where and how many times she shot him, Smith told dispatchers, “once” and “in the head.”

She said she left her .9mm Ruger pistol on the desk inside her office on the north end of the American Golf Club complex at 100 Woodland Drive, off U.S. 1 in south county, according to the affidavit.

Smith complied with deputies’ commands throughout her arrest, deputies said in the report.

Before the shooting, she told dispatchers she and Simmons were fighting. Asked if she had been hit or choked, she said yes to both, saying in the report, “he hit and choked me.”

“…We left. I left the house, I came here, tried to get away from him, and he wouldn’t ... stop,” Smith says in the call, according to the affidavit transcript.

In her statement to dispatchers in the report she said: “I came here. I was running. I brought my dog. I locked the doors, and he had a key to the backside, and he came.”

Smith said she was uninjured except for a possible “knot” on her head, which detectives said in the report they could not find.

Detectives found Simmons’ body with a head wound lying inside what was described as a locker room area within the office. They said in the report Smith fired two shots with one striking Simmons, and the other hitting a wall behind him.

No weapons were found near or on his body, according to the report. Simmons’ golf cart and Smith’s silver Lincoln sedan were parked outside the office.

Smith and Simmons shared an apartment in the 55-plus Vista Royale condominium complex that runs throughout the golf course.

Neighbors questioned by detectives said they heard a “verbal commotion and banging of objects” along with the barking of Smith’s dog at roughly 5:30 p.m.

One man said he saw Simmons leave in his golf cart toward the club, while Smith’s car remained in the parking lot. “Shortly after Simmons left,” according to the report, he looked again and it was gone.

No one questioned in the report said the say saw Smith leave in her car, but said the apartment fell quiet shortly thereafter.

A bartender at the club’s bar and grill told detectives, according to the report, Simmons was seen at 6:30 p.m. entering the office then leaving again by himself shortly after without appearing to be in distress.

A man described in the report as Simmons’ brother told detectives the relationship with Smith was, “oil and water.” He said Simmons was a war veteran, with a lot of guns inside his and Smith’s condo, according to the document.

Smith leaving the apartment after Simmons was pointed out by Sheriff Eric Flowers in a news conference Tuesday He characterized it as her “lying in wait” for Simmons versus shooting him after he followed her to the office, as she told dispatchers.

Flowers said Smith declined to speak to detectives without an attorney, and agency spokesperson Sgt. Kevin Jaworski said Thursday there were no changes in their understanding of the events.

Flowers said Tuesday Smith's statements were inconsistent with what they learned through the investigation. He said there was no apparent evidence of a struggle at the condo or in the office.

Smith is named among real estate broker associates of Jupiter-based Paradise Real Estate International, according to its website. She operates a personal business website, Donna Smith Sold It, which shows her office address as the same where the shooting occurred, 100 Woodland Drive.

Jail and court records show Smith was held Thursday in the Indian River County Jail without bond.

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Corey Arwood is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm. Follow @coreyarwood on X, email corey.arwood@tcpalm.com or call 772-978-2246.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Report outlines early investigation into fatal shooting at IRC golf club