After two decades of awaiting justice in Sherry Holtz’s murder, son chooses forgiveness
By Kennedy Mason
Click here for updates on this story
Florida (WESH) — Most people might expect anger after waiting nearly a quarter-century for answers about their mother’s murder. Instead, Eric Holtz said he found forgiveness.
Just days after Gary Durrance was sentenced to life in prison for the 1999 murder of Holtz’s mother, Sherry Holtz, Eric reflected on the decades-long journey that led to justice — and the faith that helped him let go of bitterness along the way.
“If I can forgive the man who did the most heinous crime that I could think of and did it to a loved one, if I can forgive that person, I believe it’s in the hearts of anyone to forgive anyone,” Holtz said.
For more than two decades, Holtz lived with unanswered questions about what happened to his mother and why.
In December 1999, Sherry Holtz was found dead in a wooded area off South Orlando Drive in Sanford. Investigators suspected her longtime boyfriend, Gary Durrance, but the case eventually went cold.
Despite the years that passed, Holtz said he never stopped remembering the woman behind the headlines.
“She was my mom,” he said. “She made great spaghetti.”
The case took a dramatic turn in 2023 when Sanford police cold-case detectives reopened the investigation and used advanced DNA testing on a knife recovered at the crime scene.
The testing linked Durrance to the killing, according to investigators.
As more details emerged during the investigation and trial, Holtz said pieces of his childhood began to make sense.
“I connected the dots,” he said. “Now I understand the arguing, the screaming. But at the time, I just thought this happens. People argue.”
A Seminole County jury convicted Durrance in June after deliberating for just eight minutes. Days later, a judge sentenced him to life in prison.
“I do believe justice was served,” Holtz said.
But for Holtz, the story did not end with a guilty verdict.
He said his Christian faith ultimately guided him toward forgiveness rather than resentment.
“I have forgiveness because I’m a Christian,” Holtz said.
Today, he says his hopes extend beyond the prison sentence handed down to the man convicted of killing his mother.
“My overarching desire and prayer is that Mr. Durrance finds Jesus Christ in prison,” he said.
After decades of uncertainty, Holtz finally has answers about his mother’s death. But he says the greatest lesson from the experience is not about revenge or anger.
It’s about the freedom he found in forgiveness.
Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.