THE VILLAGES, FL – In a shocking turn of events that rattled an otherwise tranquil retirement community, a 75-year-old man has been sentenced to nearly two decades in prison after a brutal attack on his estranged wife that nearly ended her life.
George Hachey, who entered a no contest plea to attempted murder charges, will spend the next 18 years behind bars for the desperate act that unfolded in the early morning hours of September 28, 2022. Authorities say the violence took place just days after Hachey’s 71-year-old wife, Margery Greene, filed for divorce, seeking to end their long marriage.
The harrowing ordeal began before 8 a.m., when Greene, despite her grave injuries, managed to dial 911 for help. Her voice, over the line, was reportedly filled with fear—she told dispatchers she believed both she and her husband had suffered life-threatening wounds.
Responding deputies from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office rushed to the home in The Villages, a sprawling retirement community in Central Florida. Inside, they found a scene of horror: Greene lay bleeding on the bedroom floor, suffering from multiple stab wounds to her legs, abdomen, and chest. Desperate to stay alive, she pleaded with the first deputy to arrive, begging, “Don’t let me die.”
Elsewhere in the house, deputies discovered Hachey, still alive, slumped motionless in a recliner in the living room. Blood covered his body and pooled around a pocketknife resting on his lap. He was largely unresponsive but still breathing, authorities reported.
Both Hachey and Greene were quickly taken to a local hospital for emergency care. Despite the severity of her wounds, Greene ultimately recovered from the attack that could easily have claimed her life.
Investigators later learned that moments before the stabbing, Hachey allegedly told Greene that she had “ruined” his life and that he planned to “end” hers. His chilling words painted a picture of a marriage undone by resentment and despair.
During his own brief interview at the hospital, Hachey reportedly admitted to detectives that he had attempted to take his wife’s life and showed no apparent interest in survival or rehabilitation, stating that he did not “want help.”
On December 16, 2025, Hachey’s fate was sealed in a Florida courtroom when he was handed an 18-year prison sentence, with credit for time served since his arrest. According to the Florida Department of Corrections, his earliest possible release date is set for September 2040, by which point he would be well into his nineties.
Authorities have not released further details about what led to the dissolution of the marriage or why Hachey snapped the way he did. The case serves as a sobering reminder of the sometimes-hidden turmoil that can exist behind closed doors, even in communities known for serenity and sunshine.