Mystery surrounds ‘brutal’ death of Florida assisted living center executive, cops say

The head of a Florida assisted living center was violently killed in his home, and investigators remain at a loss for a motive, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office said.

Details of how 59-year-old Timothy Floyd Smith died have not been released, but it was a “brutal” attack, officials said in a news release.

His body was discovered shortly before 11 a.m. Saturday, March 25, at a home in the Ocala area.

“Deputies responded to a home in Citrus Park to conduct a well-being check on Smith, who did not show up for work on Friday,” the sheriff’s office said.

“When deputies made entry to the residence, they located Smith, who was deceased and who appeared to have suffered a violent attack prior to his death.”

Smith is executive director of Brookdale Chambrel Pinecastle, an assisted living community in Ocala, a role he has held eight years, his obituary reports. Smith was also a community activist who worked with the Ocala Walk to End Alzheimer’s, the Marion County Continuity of Care, and the Annual Festival of Trees, the obituary reports.

He was last seen leaving the assisted living center around 4 p.m. Thursday, March 23, officials said.

Investigators are seeking tips from the community on sightings of Smith in the days leading up to his death, including descriptions of “persons with whom he may have been associating.”

It’s possible someone acquainted with Smith knows of a possible motive behind the killing, officials said.

“My detectives have been working around the clock to investigate this brutal murder and what we have learned so far now leads us to believe that it was committed by somebody who the victim knew,” Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods said in the release.

“Somebody out there knows something. No piece of evidence or bit of information is insignificant. If you know something that may help advance this investigation, please pick up the phone and call us.”

Ocala is about 80 miles northwest of Orlando.

This story was originally published April 2, 2023 at 6:27 AM with the headline "Mystery surrounds ‘brutal’ death of Florida assisted living center executive, cops say."