Sheriff names suspect in Spring Hill woman's homicide investigation
Residents near Cass Circle still do not know what led to a Spring Hill woman's death or whether investigators believe there is any continuing risk to the public.
Residents on Spring Hill Drive near Cass Circle are still waiting to learn what happened inside a 7296 Spring Hill Drive home, where deputies found a 70-year-old woman dead and quickly determined the death was not natural. Hernando County Sheriff Al Nienhuis said investigators classified it as homicidal violence, identified 51-year-old Hany Khalil as the suspect, and have not said whether they believe there is any continuing risk to the public.
The investigation began just before midnight Sunday, when a family member called law enforcement after discovering the victim. Deputies had already gone to the home around 5:30 a.m. Sunday for a welfare check after the woman’s daughter could not reach her; Nienhuis said the victim appeared fine at that visit and did not mention threats or a family dispute.
Family members later told detectives that Khalil had been calling and texting threats over the weekend, but they did not contact authorities sooner because the victim reportedly did not want him to get into trouble. By Monday morning, detectives had secured a search warrant and were carrying out a forensic search of the house as they tried to piece together the timeline inside the Spring Hill neighborhood.
Nienhuis said local law enforcement had very little prior interaction with either the victim or Khalil. He said Khalil did have a minimal history that included a couple of misdemeanor domestic-battery arrests in 2024 involving a former spouse, a detail that sharpened the sheriff’s warning about violence that can escalate inside families before neighbors see it coming.
The sheriff used the briefing to urge people in domestic-violence situations to seek help early, including restraining orders or injunctions. In Hernando County, victims can call the Dawn Center of Hernando County at 352-686-8430 any time, contact the Hernando County Division of the State Attorney’s Office at 352-754-4255, or petition for an injunction through the Hernando County Clerk of Court at 352-754-4201. The case remains active as detectives continue processing the scene and sorting out what happened before dawn at the Spring Hill home.
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