On the evening of November 3, the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office received a call from a concerned family member regarding the welfare of Cynthia Betts (63) of Vero Beach. They advised deputies that Betts and her husband, Asbury Lee Perkins II (57), have had domestic violence issues throughout their relationship. The family feared that something had happened to Betts because she was not answering their calls. Deputies were told that if Betts vehicle and dog were at the residence, then she is also there.
When deputies arrived at 2120 Seagrape Drive and knocked on the door, the lights inside and outside of the residence were immediately turned off. Deputies approached the rear of the residence and made contact with Asbury Lee Perkins who told them that Betts had gone to visit family members. Again, deputies confirmed that Betts was not with family members as Perkins went back inside the residence and refused to interact with them any longer. They observed the dog and vehicle at the residence as family members had advised. Deputies learned that Perkins owned a handgun and observed him inside the residence reaching into a drawer and ignoring the commands of the deputies. They made entry into the house, secured Perkins, and quickly located the body of Betts.
A search warrant was obtained for the residence where deputies identified that Betts had been shot and killed. Perkins admitted to killing Betts because she took money out of their banking account without his knowledge and she continually “nagged” him. Perkins was arrested by detectives and charged with first degree premeditated murder. He is currently being held without bond at the Indian River County Jail. Perkins has previous arrests for domestic violence battery against Betts.
Indian River County Sheriff Deryl Loar stated, “Today we mourn another tragic death at the hands of domestic violence. We know that one in three women will be the victim of domestic violence in their lifetime. Please talk to your family and friends about domestic violence, because it is a silent killer that lives within our community every day.” If you or someone you know is living with domestic violence, there are resources available to you. SafeSpace is the only domestic violence shelter and outreach program on the Treasure Coast. You can contact SafeSpace toll free at 1-800-500-1119.
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