Woman found dead in Citrus County home

HOMOSASSA — A 42-year-old Homosassa woman was found dead in her Sugarmill Woods home Thursday afternoon after Citrus County sheriff’s deputies spent several hours trying to talk the woman’s ex-husband out of the house.

Deputies took Douglas William Keene, 43, from the home at 5 Lobelia Court for questioning. He was expected to be charged with first-degree murder, according to sheriff’s spokeswoman Heather Yates.

Deputies went to the scene after co-workers of the woman called to report that she had not come to work Thursday. They found Keene inside and tried to contact him. Eventually, they called in the Sheriff’s Emergency Response Team and hostage negotiators.

At some point, team members entered the front door and found the woman dead.

The identity of the woman had not been released Thursday evening, pending notification of next of kin. The medical examiner’s office had not released the cause of death.

-- Barbara Behrendt, Times staff writer