Man Accused of Killing Grandmother Following Knife Incident, Then Using Her Credit Card for Beer and Cigarettes, According to Sheriff

A Florida man has been arrested following the tragic death of his grandmother, allegedly confessing to the brutal act. Nicholas Leonard Ivey, 29, reportedly admitted to killing his 76-year-old grandmother by “snapping her neck” and “stomping on her head.” The violent incident allegedly occurred after she “poked” him with a kitchen knife.

Ivey was apprehended earlier this week and faces charges that include grand theft auto, unlawful use of a credit card, fraudulent use of a credit card, and criminal use of an ID. According to court records, the stolen items belonged to his grandmother, Patricia Dibella, who was found deceased in her home over the weekend.

While formal charges regarding Dibella’s death have not yet been filed, Ivey is said to have confessed to the crime on multiple occasions. Authorities detailed these admissions in a probable cause affidavit.

The incident unfolded when deputies from the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office responded to a welfare check at Dibella’s residence on the evening of February 2. Her apartment is located in the 5000 block of Fairways Circle, approximately 150 miles north of Miami. Ivey’s father, also Dibella’s son-in-law, alerted police after receiving a call from Ivey claiming that Dibella was dead.

Upon arrival, deputies encountered Ivey outside the apartment. He allegedly informed them that his grandmother was deceased inside the home.

A deputy went inside and found Dibella lying prone on the bed in the main bedroom. When he attempted to lift her arm, it was “extremely stiff,” allowing him to immediately determine that she was dead. Ivey was then placed under arrest and transported to Indian River County Sheriff’s Office.

While en route, Ivey allegedly referenced his grandmother, saying, “She came at me with a knife.” When informed he was being transported to the sheriff’s Criminal Investigations Division, he “spontaneously” told a detective that “he killed his grandmother,” the affidavit states.

In a post-Miranda interview, Ivey allegedly told detectives that Dibella “poked him in the back with a kitchen steak knife” before again confessing to killing her. He said the attack took place at about 9 p.m. on Feb. 1.

“[Ivey] killed Patricia [Dibella] by ‘snapping her neck’ and punching and stomping on her head while she was on the ground,” the affidavit states.

After the alleged murder, Ivey said he moved the body from the kitchen and laid his grandmother on her bed before using towels to clean her blood from the floor.

Ivey said the sweatshirt he was wearing during the interview was the same one he was wearing when he killed his grandmother. However, he said he had “washed the sweatshirt because it was covered in blood.” He also said he washed the towels he used to clean the blood from the kitchen.

When Ivey finished cleaning, he allegedly drove Dibella’s car to a nearby store where he used her credit card to purchase beer and cigarettes, the affidavit says. Ivey clarified that he was never given permission to use Dibella’s car or credit cards.

“Due to [Ivey] informing [detectives] that he killed Dibella by ‘snapping her neck,’ stomping her head into the kitchen floor with his foot and punching her repeatedly in the head, the investigation into the death of Dibella is ongoing,” the affidavit concludes.

Ivey is currently being held in Indian River County Jail on $400,000 bond and is scheduled to return to court for his arraignment on March 10, jail records show.