Months after a beloved Ocala restaurant owner was found dead in her backyard pool, police say the boyfriend who called 911 has now been arrested on murder charges.
Ocala police say 50-year-old Michael Rowland has been taken into custody in Jacksonville in connection with the death of his girlfriend, 72-year-old Diane German, whose body was discovered floating in her pool on December 28, 2025. The Medical Examiner’s Office later ruled German’s death a homicide, citing signs consistent with strangulation, and Rowland is now awaiting transport to Marion County to face criminal charges.
Officers first responded to German’s home early that morning after Rowland called 911 and reported finding her unresponsive, according to the Tampa Free Press. Investigators say his initial account did not line up with the physical evidence at the scene, and detectives spent months reconstructing a detailed timeline that eventually zeroed in on Rowland as their primary suspect…