In August 19, 2019, 75-year-old Evelyn Smith Udell had her new Best Buy washer and dryer delivered to her Boca Raton home. Two men delivered the items and helped her set up the machines. One of the men left the house, while the other remained inside to give her instructions how to use it.
Soon after, smoke began coming out of the house and witnesses heard screams coming from inside the house. Emergency responders found Udell dead on her floor. The suspect, Jorge Dupre Lachazo, attempted to escape using the delivery truck but was intercepted by the police.
Police found Lachazo’s fingerprints on the murder weapons – a mallet which was used to beat Udell and a can of acetone which was used to burn her body. When he was arrested, police also retrieved $203 inside his pocket, which was possibly stolen from the victim. Lachazo’s co-worker said that the tips they received that day were less than $203. Udell’s wallet was open and it seemed like something was taken from it.
Lachazo confessed to using both cocaine and marijuana before the delivery. He admitted to the attack, but his defense lawyers tried to convince the court that he did not intend to kill her, saying that his emotional state, which was influenced by drugs, could have affected his decisions during an intended robbery.
Three years after the incident, the suspect Jorge Dupre Lachazo, 24, has finally been convicted of first-degree murder, burglary, and arson by Palm Beach County Circuit Judge Daliah Weiss. The nonjury trial lasted for three days. Lachazo’s mother and Udell’s son were both present when the decision was read.
Udell’s son became emotional during the court proceedings. He will be given a chance to speak his mind to his mother’s killer on April 5, 2023.
