Woman stabs man to death at Kissimmee Days Inn, deputies say

Zackery Ganoe killed on April 11

Emerita Eileen Mapp is charged with first-degree murder. (Osceola County Jail)

KISSIMMEE, Fla. – A woman was charged Friday in the stabbing death of a 20-year-old man who was found earlier in the week at a Kissimmee Days Inn, according to the Osceola County Sheriff's Office.

Zackery Ganoe was found Tuesday at the hotel with another young man with stab wounds who survived, deputies said.

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Deputies said they received a call around 9:15 a.m. about a stabbing at the Days Inn in the 2900 block of Polynesian Isle Boulevard.

The surviving victim was found bleeding on the ground outside a hotel room, authorities said. He was taken to a nearby hospital and suffered life-threatening injuries, Osceola County Sheriff's Office Cpt. Jacob Ruiz said Friday during a news conference. 

The second victim has not been identified by authorities.

Ganoe was pronounced dead at the scene.

Detectives on Friday arrested Emerita Eileen Mapp, 33, of Orlando. She is charged with first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder.

Deputies said Mapp was cooperative with investigators. She was booked into the Osceola County Jail and is being held without bond.

"This was a violent and horrific crime," Osceola County Sheriff Russ Gibson said. "Two young men were attacked viciously, one losing his life."

The two men did not have criminal histories, but involved themselves with "bad people," Ruiz said. 

Ruiz told the young people of Central Florida “to be careful who you associate with.”

Ganoe was dedicated to his daughter, Lilly, always posting pictures on social media of the father and toddler.

The 20-year-old was a server at TGI Fridays in Kissimmee, according to his Facebook page.

Ganoe’s family hosted a charity baseball tournament Thursday to help pay for funeral expenses and to fly Ganoe’s body back to his home to Pennsylvania.

A family member also created a GoFundMe page to help pay for funeral expenses and the young daughter he leaves behind.

Detectives are still accepting tips from the public about the stabbing attack. Anyone with information is asked to call the Sheriff's Office at 407-348-2222.


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