Months after a beloved Ocala restaurant owner was found dead in her backyard pool, police say the boyfriend who called 911 has now been arrested on murder charges.
Ocala police say 50-year-old Michael Rowland has been taken into custody in Jacksonville in connection with the death of his girlfriend, 72-year-old Diane German, whose body was discovered floating in her pool on December 28, 2025. The Medical Examiner’s Office later ruled German’s death a homicide, citing signs consistent with strangulation, and Rowland is now awaiting transport to Marion County to face criminal charges.
Officers first responded to German’s home early that morning after Rowland called 911 and reported finding her unresponsive, according to the Tampa Free Press. Investigators say his initial account did not line up with the physical evidence at the scene, and detectives spent months reconstructing a detailed timeline that eventually zeroed in on Rowland as their primary suspect.
Surveillance footage and digital phone records placed Rowland at the residence the night before German’s body was found, and detectives say they later recovered German’s broken iPhone, a laptop, and charging cords inside Rowland’s work truck, the outlet Ocala‑News reports. Investigators also said the victim’s phone last pinged a tower at about 9:40 p.m. on December 27, roughly the same time a neighbor reported seeing a plumbing truck outside the home.
The Medical Examiner’s Office concluded the death was a homicide and noted evidence of strangulation, a finding that shifted the case firmly into a criminal investigation, according to WFTV. Ocala police say no other suspects have been identified, and detectives continued to gather and review evidence for months before moving in with an arrest.
How investigators say they pieced it together
Police say surveillance video shows Rowland’s work truck at German’s house around 9:35 p.m. on December 27 and that a man was seen carrying an item with a cordlike appearance to the truck, details that became key points in the investigative timeline. After months of follow-up work, officers located Rowland in Jacksonville and arrested him. He is expected to be transported to Marion County to face charges, according to WCJB.
Charges and legal stakes
Ocala police say Rowland is charged with second-degree murder and tampering with physical evidence. Under Florida law, murder in the second degree is classified as a felony of the first degree and is punishable by a term of years up to life in prison, according to Florida Statutes §782.04. Legislative analysis also notes that tampering with or fabricating physical evidence is a felony offense that can carry prison time and may be increased in severity depending on the circumstances, per a House analysis.
German was a longtime presence in Marion County’s restaurant scene who had taken over Wolfy’s of Ocala with her son, and her death stunned staff and regulars when news first broke. Friends and co‑workers remembered her as a hardworking owner whose eateries had become fixtures in the community, Ocala‑News says.
Ocala police say they believe the crucial investigative work in the case is largely complete and have offered condolences to German’s family as prosecutors prepare formal filings. More updates are expected as Rowland is transported back to Marion County for arraignment and any subsequent court proceedings, according to the Tampa Free Press.
