Person:Deborah Herrmann (1)

Posted on Tue, Mar. 07, 2006

Woman had been strangledBy ROBIN FITZGERALDrfitzgerald@@sunherald.comGULFPORT - A woman whose body was found in her Gulfport home on Sunday was strangled two days earlier, authorities said.Deborah G. Herrmann, 55, was identified Monday after her elderly mother was notified, said Harrison County Coroner Gary Hargrove.She also had been robbed. Police have labelled the case a capital murder because of the underlying crime of robbery.Herrmann, from Henderson, Nev., moved to Gulfport to help her brother with his business, Hargrove said. She lived on Canal Street, the same street as Mold Eliminators, the business where her brother, Craig, is president. Her brother was not available for comment.Herrmann's death went unnoticed until the suspect, Robert Ray Wilkerson, 38, of Gautier, visited the Harrison County jail Sunday morning and told authorities he had robbed and killed a woman. Gulfport police officers found the body in her home shortly afterward.The cause of death was strangulation, said Hargrove.Wilkerson worked for Herrmann's brother, according to Police Chief Alan Weatherford.Wilkerson was held without bond at the Harrison County Adult Detention Facility.Herrmann's death is the first ruled as a murder in Gulfport this year. It also is the city's first reported murder since Dec. 6, 2005, when Larry McLaurin, 21, died in a shooting on Florida Avenue.Gulfport police recorded six murders in 2005.

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Obituaty HERRMANN, DEBORAH

Published March 09, 2006. in the Reviewjournal in Las vegas, NV

HERRMANN, DEBORAH

Deborah Jo "Gabrielle" Herrmann, born June 4, 1950, in Buffalo, N.Y., age 55, died in Gulfport, Miss., Friday, March 3, 2006. She spent the majority of her childhood in Shreveport/Bossier City, La., with her family. Debra relocated to Las Vegas in 1973, where she spent the rest of her life. Family was a priority for her as well as New Vista Community, a non profit organization, promoting independent living for mentally challenged adults. Many would describe her as a generous and loving "free spirit". Her passion for song, dance, and enriching the lives of those around her will be sorely missed. She is survived by her daughter, Miriam Herrmann Field; her mother, June Herrmann; sisters, Dona Caine-Francis and Dawn Marie Herrmann; and brother, Craig Herrmann. A memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 11, at Shadow Hills Baptist Church on Vegas Drive. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to New Vista Community, 3085 Valley View Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89102.