A Central Florida man was indicted for murdering and burying a friend who was reported missing.
The Brevard County grand jury indicted 52-year-old George H. Mancilla for one count of first-degree murder for the death of William S. Berry, one count of tampering with or destroying evidence, three counts of fraudulent use of a deceased person’s personal identification information, three counts of fraudulent use of a credit card, and one count of grand theft.
Palm Bay Police determined that Mancilla killed 63-year-old William Berry by asphyxiation at Mancilla’s home on SW Turk Road in March 2025 and buried Berry’s body nearby. Then he and others fraudulently used Berry’s debit card to withdraw or transfer cash.
The two had recently met in jail. Berry, who was homeless, had been living temporarily with Mancilla and his girlfriend.
When police executed a search warrant at Mancilla’s home, he had Berry’s debit card in his possession. During a police interview, Mancilla said he had smothered Berry with a bed comforter then put him in a wooden box.
George Mancilla then escorted officers to a wooded area of Southwest Palm Bay where a forensic team and cadaver dogs recovered the victim’s remains. DNA tests confirmed the remains were Berry’s.
