Suspect texts detective, not wife, about girlfriend’s death

the home invasion, the Ocala Star-Banner reported. DUNNELLON — A Florida A short time later, he sent man who thought he was two text messages saying texting his wife but instead he thought he was going to nervously messaged a detecbe arrested. tive “I think they are going “I think they are going to to arrest me” was charged arrest me,” Romig wrote in with murder in the death of the first text, which he said his live-in girlfriend, author- he thought he was sending ities said. to his wife. The second text

Marion County sheriff’s simply said: “Think they are officials arrested David W. going to arrest.”

Romig, 52, on Monday on The arrest report said charges including homicide, Romig also messaged his making a false report and wife and told her that he tampering with evidence. had a very bad night, add

Investigators said he staged ing that someone had brothe crime scene to make it ken in and Kaufmann-Ruff look like an intruder entered was fatally shot. a home on Jan. 30 and killed He texted his wife that Sally Kaufmann-Ruff, 64, in “things don’t add up,” and the master bedroom of the “I am afraid I did something I home in Dunnellon, which don’t remember.” He ended is located about two hours with, “If I did this I will kill north of Tampa. myself.”

Detectives quickly found Investigators said the two that the evidence didn’t errant text messages added match Romig’s story about to their suspicions.

After his arrest, Romig told detectives he had been suffer- ing from blackouts and that he was “hearing voices.” He added that he had “an out-of- body experience” and “felt like he was wrestling with himself and the gun went off, shooting Sally.”

Romig told detectives he “staged the scene due to having blacked out during the shooting, setting the scene as a home invasion,” the arrest report said, adding that he admitted there was no intruder. Romig told investigators he is the sole beneficiary listed in KaufmannRuff ’s will, the report said. The pair had lived together for 2½ years. Judge Robert Landt ordered Romig held without bond, and he is on a suicide watch at the Marion County Jail in Ocala. His next hearing is set for March 20.

An attorney isn’t listed on court records.