NBC-2 News: Man arrested in Golden Gate Estates homicide

Reporter Ryan Arbogast

Collier County deputies arrested 71-year-old Racine Raphael in Glades County on Saturday, charging him with 2nd-degree murder.

What we know:

Deputies responded to Rafael’s home on 8th Avenue Southeast in Golden Gate Estates on Thursday night after a 911 caller claimed they had found a body.

“Ma’am?
Please help…
Ma’am you keep cutting off…
She’s not breathing,” said the 911 caller.

Raphael hit his wife, Lisiana Raphael over with a type of tire iron multiple times, causing her to fall to the ground unconscious, according to Collier County Court records. He then stepped on and kicked her head.

She was found by deputies dead inside the laundry room of the home.

The cause of death for Lisiana Raphael was blunt force trauma to the head.

Why did he do it?

Collier County Sheriff’s Deputies scoured the home for nearly 24 hours between Thursday night and Friday afternoon.

A note was found inside the home, describing a fight that had occured between Racine and his son.

Portions of the note read that Racine wanted to retaliate to his son’s words “very, very violently. You will never see my face or your mother’s face again.”

The letter went on to state “I feel great to make you very happy on your wedding day without your mom.”

Next steps:

Raphael admitted to both beating his wife and writing the letter to his son.

He is being held at no bond by order of a judge.