Investigators in Florida are working to piece together what happened to a 76-year-old grandmother found dead inside her apartment. Deputies from the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office performed a welfare check at Patricia Dibella’s home on February 2, 2026. When they arrived, they reportedly found her grandson, 29-year-old Nicholas Ivey, standing outside. He told investigators his grandmother was dead inside. When police told Ivey they were taking him into custody, he had a disturbing story about what he claims happened inside the home.
WPBF reported that court documents state Ivey called Dibella’s unidentified son-in-law, his father, and said his grandmother was dead. The son-in-law then called police for a welfare check at Dibella’s apartment at 5090 Fairways Circle in Vero Beach. Investigators saw Ivey outside before entering the apartment and finding Dibella dead. Police told Ivey they were taking him into custody, and he allegedly said, “She came at me with a knife.”
When they arrived at the sheriff’s office, Ivey reportedly gave a graphic and disturbing confession. He told investigators his grandmother poked him in the back with a steak knife. In return, Ivey said, he snapped his grandmother’s neck and stomped on her on the kitchen floor, according to WPBF. He reportedly told police he moved her body into the bedroom and cleaned up blood with towels. Ivey said he washed the towels and sweatshirt he wore before calling for help…