Buried Alive: A Retired Couple’s Kindness Turned Into a Deadly Betrayal

In July 2005 a shocking and deeply disturbing crime unfolded in the quiet city of Jacksonville Florida. A retired couple who had recently relocated there in search of a peaceful new chapter in life were brutally betrayed by someone they had once welcomed into their lives.The victims, Mr. and Mrs. Reggie Sumner had previously lived in South Carolina before making the decision to move to Florida in March 2005. By all accounts, the couple were kind, trusting, and generous people. While still living in South Carolina, they had formed a friendly relationship with a young woman named Tiffany Ann Cole, who was the daughter of one of their neighbors.

Their relationship with Tiffany was warm and supportive. Before moving away, the Sumners sold their car to her at a discounted price, an act that reflected both their generosity and their trust. They also told her that she was welcome to visit them at any time after they relocated. At that point, there was no sign that their kindness would later be used against them in such a horrific way.

In June 2005, approximately three months after the couple had settled in Jacksonville, Tiffany took them up on their invitation and traveled to visit them. During her stay, the Sumners openly shared details about their recent move and their financial situation. They told her that they had sold their house in South Carolina and made a profit of around $99,000. The couple spoke about this openly and happily, with no intention other than sharing good news with someone they considered a friend.

However, behind Tiffany’s friendly behavior, a far more sinister motive was forming. Rather than being pleased for the couple, she became focused on the money they had received from the sale of their home. According to later investigations and court findings, Tiffany developed a plan to take that money for herself. The information that the Sumners freely shared would soon become the reason they were targeted.

In early July 2005, Tiffany recruited three other individuals to help her carry out the crime. Together, the group traveled to the Sumners’ home late at night. What happened next would later be described as one of the most horrifying crimes in the region’s recent history.

The four attackers entered the couple’s home and forced the elderly pair into submission. Rather than leaving them behind or fleeing the scene, the group carried out a far more calculated and cruel plan. Mr. and Mrs. Sumner were taken from their home and transported to a remote location. There, they were buried alive.

The act was not impulsive. It was the result of a deliberate decision to eliminate the couple so their money could be taken without resistance. The Sumners, who had shown only kindness and generosity toward Tiffany, were given no chance to escape.

After committing the murders, Tiffany and her accomplices immediately turned their attention to the couple’s finances. They proceeded to withdraw large sums of money from the Sumners’ bank account. The crime was not only violent but also motivated by greed, with the financial gain serving as the central objective from the very beginning.

Perhaps one of the most disturbing aspects of the case was what the group did after the killings. Instead of attempting to hide their actions quietly, they openly celebrated. Photographs were taken showing members of the group posing with champagne and placing dollar bills in their mouths, capturing their excitement over the money they had just stolen. These images would later become key pieces of evidence, illustrating not only their involvement but also their lack of remorse in the immediate aftermath of the crime.

Law enforcement authorities eventually traced the suspicious bank activity and gathered evidence linking the group to the Sumners’ disappearance and deaths. The investigation uncovered the planning that had gone into the attack and the role that each participant played. As a result, Tiffany and the three others were arrested and charged in connection with the murders.

The legal outcomes reflected the severity and brutality of the crime. Three of the individuals involved, including Tiffany Ann Cole, were sentenced to life in prison. One member of the group received a death sentence and remains on death row. The sentencing brought a measure of justice, but it could not undo the profound harm caused to the victims or erase the betrayal at the heart of the case.The murders of Mr. and Mrs. Sumner stand as a tragic reminder of how trust can be exploited and how ordinary acts of kindness can be twisted by those driven by greed. The couple had opened their home to someone they believed to be a friend, only to become victims of a calculated and mercorseless plan. Their story continues to be remembered not only for the shocking nature of the crime, but also as a warning about the devastating consequences of misplaced trust and unchecked ambition.