Elizabeth Hernandez, 51, was brutally murdered during an armed home invasion at her Sunrise Boulevard home in Fort Pierce on September 8, 2014. She was found inside the house in a pool of blood with 29 stab wounds, mostly to the neck, and defensive wounds showing she fought her attacker or attackers. The invasion was carried out during a robbery; the assailants forced Hernandez and a companion to get undressed and lie on the floor before weapons were produced.

Aaron Holmes, 30, who was with Hernandez that night and knew one of the intruders, managed to flee but was shot twice in the back of the head as he ran; he survived long enough to reach a neighbor for help. Two Fort Pierce residents, Ray Williams and Keith Canty, were arrested in the aftermath. A woman, Melina Dennis, admitted to driving Williams and Canty to the house and later helped recover stolen items Williams had burned and buried; she was charged as an accessory after the fact and with tampering with evidence.

The prosecution described the invasion as planned robbery that escalated into deadly violence; both Williams and Canty faced extensive court proceedings. If anyone has information about Hernandez, the events that night, or the people involved, please share what is known.