Paula Tilley Floyd, 54, was fatally stabbed in a North Carolina residence in March
Credit: Gofundme; New River Valley Regional Jail
NEED TO KNOW
- Matthew Jared Vukmer has been arrested in connection with Paula Tilley Floyd’s killing last month
- In a 911 call made by his wife to report the incident, Vukmer could allegedly be heard saying: “We got Vladimir Putin,” per reports
- He allegedly left the scene after stabbing Floyd and was taken into custody in Virginia later that same day
A North Carolina man is set to be extradited to Virginia, where he is facing charges in connection with the fatal stabbing of his 54-year-old housekeeper last month.
The alleged victim, Paula Tilley Floyd, was killed on March 6 in Matthew Jared Vukmer's residence just outside of Hillsborough, N.C., the Orange County Sheriff's Office said at the time.
Authorities promptly issued a first-degree murder charge against Vukmer and initiated a search for him, alleging he had left his residence soon after Floyd was stabbed.
Vukmer was arrested by authorities in Grayson County, Va., later that day, according to an updated statement from the sheriff's office.
Floyd was identified by investigators as Vukmer's long-term housekeeper, ABC 11 reported, and 911 call records obtained by local media have shed light on the circumstances surrounding her killing.
Vukmer's wife reportedly told the 911 dispatcher that she was at her desk when she heard Floyd fall, according to call records cited by CBS 17 and The News & Observer. She said she ran to see Vukmer allegedly stabbing Floyd.
“My husband was upstairs and he said he heard someone and came down,” she's heard telling the dispatcher, per the outlets. “He attacked our cleaning lady because he thought she was someone else.”
In the background, Vukmer can allegedly be heard saying, "We got Vladimir Putin,” before his wife cuts him off, according to CBS 17.
While tending to Floyd, the woman tells the dispatcher Vukmer "just got in the truck,” and she believed he was going to get help, per The News & Observer.
Floyd is being remembered for her contagious energy and care for others.
"To Paula, family was never limited to blood—it included anyone lucky enough to cross her path," read part of her obituary.
"Paula loved life in a way that was impossible to ignore. If there was a dance floor, Paula was on it. If there was a board game, she was playing it," her family said in the tribute. "She had a remarkable ability to keep the joy going, even when life was heavy."
A GoFundMe has since been set up to assist her family as they mourn her.
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
Vukmer has been held in custody in Virginia under a charge of fugitive from justice, the Orange County Sheriff's Office said in an update this week.
On Monday, April 6, Vukmer waived extradition in a Grayson County courtroom and is set to be returned to authorities in North Carolina, per the statement.
It's not clear if Vukmer has denied the allegations against him or retained an attorney to speak on his behalf.
Read the full article here
