Carmen Perez-Stolts was born in Jamaica and had lived in Collier County, Florida, for more than two decades. A former nurse and caregiver, she was remembered by family members as a compassionate woman who loved animals, fashion, dancing, and spending time with the people she cared about. Although she was eighty-one years old, relatives described her as energetic and youthful, with a particular fondness for elegant clothing and an extensive collection of shoes.
Her granddaughter, Michelle Woode-Bowen, had lived with Carmen for approximately ten years during her childhood. She remembered her grandmother teaching her everyday skills, including cooking and personal grooming, and providing a loving presence during her formative years. Carmen was also a cancer survivor who remained close to her family in Jamaica. In fact, she had been planning a trip to the island later in September of 2011.
Ludwig Volksheimer, originally from Germany, had spent much of his working life in the roofing industry. He owned a roofing company in Sarasota, Florida, before retiring and eventually settling in Naples. His former business partner, Peter Iro, described Ludwig as a kind man with a strong personality.
Ludwig’s wife had died in 2002. He subsequently lived in Massachusetts, where he had family, before returning to Florida. He eventually began a relationship with Carmen, and the two had been together for several years by September 2011, when Ludwig was seventy-one.
Friends and family described the couple as happy together. Neighbors frequently saw them tending to the lush landscaping surrounding their home, while Ludwig was sometimes spotted walking a dog around the property. Their residence, known as Pelican Villa, was surrounded by tropical vegetation, flowering plants, and decorative stone statues, creating a peaceful setting for the couple’s retirement years.
But their seemingly ordinary life together came to a devastating end on a Tuesday in September.
The evening before the murders, Carmen’s son, Courtney Edward Woode, had been at the couple’s home on Sea Grass Lane. According to an account later published by the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, Courtney told investigators that he last saw his mother and Ludwig alive at approximately nine thirty p.m. on September 12th. Courtney, who also lived at the residence, said he left that evening and spent the night at his girlfriend’s home in East Naples.
The following morning, September 13th, Courtney spoke with his mother by telephone at approximately nine a.m. He told investigators that nothing about their conversation seemed unusual.
Courtney subsequently went to work. As the day progressed, he attempted to telephone his mother several more times but received no answer. Growing concerned, he decided to return to her house to check on her.
When he entered the home, he made a horrifying discovery. Carmen and Ludwig were lying on the bed in the master bedroom, surrounded by blood. Courtney initially believed they had been stabbed. However, investigators would subsequently establish that both victims had been shot multiple times.
At six forty-eight p.m., the Collier County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a suspicious incident at the residence. Deputies arrived shortly afterward and were informed that two people were dead inside the house. They entered the property, confirmed the deaths, and secured the scene.
Based on their initial observations, deputies began treating the deaths as a possible double homicide. Investigators obtained a search warrant, and crime scene technicians began processing the residence for evidence.
Detective Andrew Henchesmoore was assigned to the case and responded to the residence on the evening of the murders. Investigators examined the master bedroom, documented the scene, and conducted a neighborhood canvass in an effort to identify anyone who might have witnessed suspicious activity.
By September 15th, detectives had established a preliminary timeline. They believed the killer or killers had entered the couple’s residence sometime between nine thirty a.m. and six p.m. on September 13th and had shot both victims in their bedroom.
The investigation revealed no apparent signs of forced entry. That detail raised questions about how the perpetrator had gained access to the house, although it did not establish whether the victims knew their killer or whether someone had entered through an unlocked door.
Investigators also found no immediately identifiable motive for the murders. Nothing appeared to have been stolen from the home, and relatives said the couple were not known to have any enemies.
Two additional people were living on the property at the time: Carmen’s son, Courtney, and Jose Almanza, who rented a guest house behind the main residence. Both men were interviewed by detectives. In statements released immediately after the murders, the Sheriff’s Office said neither man was considered a suspect.
Almanza, who had been living in the guest house for approximately eleven months, told reporters that he had noticed nothing unusual at the property in the days preceding the murders. He had left for work that Tuesday morning and returned to find police vehicles surrounding the residence.
Almanza also said that investigators interviewed him and searched his guest house and vehicle as part of their investigation. He was unable to provide any explanation for why someone would have wanted to kill the couple.
The double homicide disturbed residents of the otherwise quiet Golden Gate neighborhood. The victims’ home, with its tropical landscaping and distinctive stone pelicans at the driveway entrance, was suddenly surrounded by crime scene tape and sheriff’s deputies.
Neighbors struggled to understand what had happened. Some said they had heard or seen nothing unusual, and the absence of an obvious motive added to their unease. Sheriff Kevin Rambosk ordered additional patrols throughout the neighborhood and increased security at nearby school bus stops as investigators worked to determine whether the killings represented a broader threat. Although the additional security measures were intended to reassure residents, investigators said they had no information indicating a direct threat to the surrounding community.
As the investigation continued, detectives encountered considerable difficulties. According to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office’s official case profile, investigators were unable to identify any witnesses to the murders. The lack of an apparent motive and the absence of forced entry further complicated efforts to establish what had happened inside the home.
Detective Henchesmoore eventually developed a person of interest, although the Sheriff’s Office did not publicly identify that individual in its case profile or disclose the specific evidence that had led investigators to focus on them. The detective expressed his belief that someone possessed information that could help investigators make an arrest.
In September 2019, Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers renewed its appeal for information about the case, marking eight years since Carmen and Ludwig’s deaths. The organization continued to seek tips from anyone who might know something about the circumstances surrounding the murders. The case was also included in a November 2021 Fort Myers News-Press report examining twenty-three unsolved homicides in Southwest Florida dating from 2011 through 2013.
As of September 2026, the double homicide is still listed as open by Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers, and the Collier County Sheriff’s Office continues to maintain an active public case profile seeking information. No arrest or resolution has been announced in the official case information.
