In a rural, undeveloped stretch of Collier County, Florida, Ladson O’Neal Metts and his wife, Lillie Jones Metts, had created their own private paradise. They called their campground off 13th Avenue Southwest "Lillie's Villa," a quiet getaway in the Golden Gate Estates area near Naples where they planted a garden and had their own well. Ladson, 44, was a punctual man with a military background who managed a service station on U.S. 41 North. Lillie, a 40-year-old white female, worked as a nurse at Naples Community Hospital. Their peaceful retreat was their escape, a place they cherished.
That peace was horrifically shattered on Thursday, May 10, 1973. The couple’s 20-year-old nephew, Danny Metts, grew worried when his uncle failed to show up that morning. Ladson was supposed to bring him breakfast at work, and it was unlike him to be late. Knowing something was wrong, Danny and a neighbor went to the campground. There, they made a devastating discovery.
Both Ladson and Lillie were found shot to death in their garden. The scene was brutal and violent; even the couple’s pet poodle had been shot, though the dog survived its injuries.
The Collier County Sheriff’s Office launched a homicide investigation, determining that the couple had been ambushed and killed by an unknown assailant or assailants. The autopsy revealed that Ladson had been shot three times in the head with a .22-caliber firearm. Lillie had been shot six times in the head, and investigators found evidence that she had also been sexually assaulted. The viciousness of the attack stunned the community and left the Metts family heartbroken. Danny Metts had to drive two miles from the remote crime scene just to find a business with a phone to call the police.
For decades, the investigation into the double homicide has continued, but no arrests have ever been made. According to a 2010 report, investigators with the sheriff's office identified persons of interest over the years, but a lack of conclusive evidence or direct witnesses prevented them from building a case strong enough for prosecution. Evidence collected in 1973 has been re-examined over the years as forensic technology has advanced, but no definitive breakthroughs have been announced. The case remains one of Collier County's most haunting and unresolved crimes.
The passage of time has done little to ease the pain and frustration for the surviving family members. Decades after the murders, relatives have expressed deep cynicism and anger regarding the initial handling of the case by the Collier County Sheriff's Office. Lillie and Ladson's nephews, Danny and Kerry Metts, have stated their belief that investigators did not make an earnest effort at the time and may have had a good idea who was responsible but failed to act. A former detective who inherited the case a few years after the murders expressed his wish that he had been assigned to it from the beginning, suggesting more might have been done in the crucial early stages.
As of May 2010, the murders of Lillie and Ladson Metts remain an active cold case with the Collier County Sheriff's Office. Investigators continue to hold out hope that someone, somewhere, has the missing piece of information that could finally bring justice to the couple and closure to their family. The case, number 73-6711, is a stark reminder of the violence that shattered a family and took two lives in what was supposed to be their personal paradise.
Anyone with information regarding the double homicide of Lillie and Ladson Metts is urged to contact the Collier County Sheriff's Office at (239) 252-9300. To remain anonymous and potentially be eligible for a cash reward, tips can be submitted to Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS (8477).
