53-year-old man who intentionally ran over a woman with his vehicle, killing her after a domestic dispute in 2022, has been sentenced to life in prison.
On Monday, March 10, 2025, Collier County Circuit Judge Elizabeth Krier sentenced Donald Lee Whitaker to life in prison. A jury found Whitaker guilty of second-degree murder following a four-day trial last October.
“This sentence represents the unwavering commitment of the Collier County Sheriff’s Office and the State Attorney’s Office to hold those who commit domestic violence and other violent crimes accountable,” Sheriff Kevin Rambosk said.
Collier County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a report of a possible domestic disturbance involving a woman who had been run over by a vehicle in the 1100 block of Dove Tree Street in Golden Gate Estates around 8:40 p.m. on Nov. 29, 2022.
Witnesses told deputies the victim was lying in the roadway with a minivan idling nearby. A Good Samaritan who had been driving by stopped and asked the woman if she needed help. The woman was crying in a semi-fetal position on the ground and said no. That witness called law enforcement.
Seconds later, the minivan sped up and ran over the victim. Witnesses saw Whitaker get out of the vehicle and try to lift the victim. A witness asked him to stop trying to move her due to her severe injuries and waited on scene until help arrived.
Deputies performed CPR on the victim until paramedics arrived. The victim was transported to Naples Community Hospital North East with critical injuries and was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.
Whitaker told detectives the victim was his fiancée. Detectives said the pair had a history of domestic violence together.
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