A Florida woman has been sentenced to a lengthy prison term for the brutal murder of her roommate, a crime that shocked a local community.

Tracey Stanley, aged 63, has been handed a 40-year prison sentence following her no contest plea to the murder of Andrea Kathleen Day, who was 72 years old. This sentencing occurred on January 9, just three months after Stanley entered her plea, as confirmed by the Office of the State Attorney, Fifth Judicial District.

The grim incident came to light on July 20, 2024, when Stanley herself dialed 911 to report Day’s death. Responding officers arrived at the scene to a gruesome discovery: Day’s body was concealed under a blue tarp on the kitchen floor. The surroundings bore the signs of violence, with blood splattered across the floor, ceiling, and walls of the hallway, accompanied by noticeable drag marks indicating the body had been moved from the hallway to the kitchen.

During the investigation, detectives from the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office noted that Stanley seemed evasive when questioned about the deceased. Initially, she spoke freely on various topics, but when pressed about the body, she requested legal counsel.

Investigators observed that Stanley had minor facial scratches with fresh blood, raising further suspicion. Crucially, a hammer discovered at the scene contained DNA from both the victim, Day, and Stanley, according to prosecutors. The investigation revealed that Day suffered approximately 20 blows to the head with the hammer’s claw end, outlining the brutal nature of the attack.

Authorities said that the upper part of Day’s body, including her head, was found covered in three garbage bags. Day’s face was in “stages of decomposition,” and prosecutors concluded that she had been “deceased for a while” before Stanley reported her dead.

According to the arrest warrant, detectives were approached by a mail delivery worker who told them that Day had asked her for help evicting Stanley from the property. Stanley received that eviction notice on June 24, 2024, a few weeks before she murdered Day.

Stanley pleaded no contest to second-degree murder. She will spend the next 40 years incarcerated by the Florida Department of Corrections.