Content Warning: This episode contains descriptions of violence, assault, and murder that some listeners may find disturbing.

Welcome to The True Crime Pod. In the quiet neighborhoods of Washington County, Florida, a seemingly routine Sunday visit would spiral into forty-eight hours of unimaginable horror, leaving one woman dead and another forever traumatized.

Just last month, a man with thirty-three prior felony charges walked free from jail. What happened next would shock even the most seasoned law enforcement officers.

On a sunny Sunday afternoon in April two thousand and twenty-five, David Earl Gipson, forty years old, paid what appeared to be a friendly visit to a local home. But the normalcy of that spring day was about to shatter. Without warning, Gipson reportedly became irate, unleashing a wave of violence that would leave two families changed forever.

What makes this case particularly chilling is not just the brutality of the attacks, but the calculated nature of what followed. Picture this: an oversized tool box in a backyard shed, becoming an improvised prison. A desperate escape that would finally expose the truth. And a seventy-four-year-old woman, Lettie Cooper Collins, who would never return home.

As investigators pieced together the timeline, they discovered the horrifying sequence of events. The younger victim was bound, gagged, and subjected to repeated assaults at gunpoint. Her mother-in-law, Lettie, was savagely beaten before being dragged to Gipson's vehicle, her mouth sealed with duct tape.

But in a twist that would prove crucial to cracking the case, one victim managed to escape. Her desperate bid for freedom led to a passing motorist who alerted authorities, setting off an intensive manhunt across Washington County.

The search for Gipson became a battle of wills. In a desperate attempt to evade capture, he submerged himself in mud, trying to throw off the scent dogs. But law enforcement remained relentless. Sheriff Kevin Crews and his team refused to give up, and their persistence paid off.

When they finally apprehended Gipson, the charges mounted quickly: aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, sexual assault with a deadly weapon, kidnapping, and murder charges pending. But for the families involved, no amount of justice can undo the events of those terrible forty-eight hours.

This case reminds us that danger can lurk behind familiar faces, and that our justice system's revolving door sometimes fails to protect our communities. For those affected by violent crime, the National Sexual Assault Hotline is available twenty-four-seven at 800-656-HOPE.

If you found this episode informative, please subscribe to The True Crime Pod wherever you get your podcasts. Visit our website at thetruecrimepod.com for more resources, including links to support victims' advocacy groups. Remember, staying informed and aware is one of our best defenses against crime.

Stay safe, and I'll see you next time on The True Crime Pod.