A witness heard her say, ‘He is going to kill me,’ cops say. Man charged with killing his wife

Polk County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday that 50-year-old Randolph Maya of Polk County is charged with first-degree murder in the strangling death of his wife, 50-year-old Jodi Maya.

On Sunday night, an unnamed witness who also lives at the Auburndale home heard Jodi scream and say, “He is going to kill me,” and then silence, according to the sheriff’s report.

The witness left her bedroom and, through the crack of a bathroom door, observed Randolph standing between Jodi’s legs and leaning on her as she sat on the toilet.

The witness then went back to her room and called 9-1-1 around 7:40 p.m.

When deputies arrived at the front door, Maya told them that nothing was going on and they were not needed.

Deputies could hear one witness crying in the background, and another witness approached them and said “I think she’s dead.”

Deputies found the victim slumped over and unresponsive in the bathroom. CPR was performed and Jodi Maya was then transported to Winter Haven Hospital, where she died the following morning.

An autopsy ruled the death homicide by asphyxiation.

Randolph Maya refused to explain his black eye to deputies, and he also had multiple scratches and a bite mark on his left wrist.

Maya’s original charge of attempted murder was upgraded to first degree murder after the autopsy on Tuesday.

He was also found to be in violation of probation resulting from a 2011 arrest for organized fraud out of Broward County.

Randolph’s criminal history includes 14 arrests since 1991, including multiple DUIs, battery, aggravated assault and fraud.

The murder investigation happened on the first days of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

“October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and we are sad to report that we’re already investigating a domestic-related murder on the first day of the month,” said Sherrif Grady Judd in a press release. “Please, if you are in a dangerous situation, get out and get help before things escalate. There are so many resources out there to assist victims of domestic violence.”

Polk County Sherrif’s Office had recently responded to a disturbance call at the home on Sept. 14, during which Jodi Maya told deputies that no battery had taken place.

This story was originally published October 2, 2018 at 5:04 PM.