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Records Detail Grisly Case

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By JOSH POLTILOVE, The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 7, 2007

Previous Coverage:

11/05/07: Missing Tampa Couple Found Dead
11/03/07: Missing Tampa Couple Pose Mystery

TAMPA - When Hillsborough County sheriff's deputies entered a missing couple's Tampa condominium, they found blood on a wall, a bullet on the floor, a live shotgun shell on a counter and animal feces throughout.

Investigators would learn Trevor McGinty had told his sister he would shoot himself due to failing businesses. They also would find evidence connecting him to his girlfriend's disappearance, according to a search warrant made available Tuesday.

Deputies later found the body of Wendy Dusza in a 45-gallon Rubbermaid container in a garage rented by the couple.

She had been shot once in the head, Hillsborough County deputies say.

They say McGinty purchased the container and the duct tape wrapped around its lid, video evidence and a store receipt from Oct. 26 show.

Dusza's body was found late Saturday night in the couple's Beach Walk Condos complex. Investigators said it appears the 34-year-old was killed a week earlier, either the night of Oct. 25 or the morning of Oct. 26.

McGinty was found dead in a hotel room in Gainesville Sunday night. Gainesville police say the 30-year-old shot himself in the head.

An Apology With Conditions

A suicide note McGinty wrote "was apparently apologizing for committing suicide and claimed everything was an accident," Gainesville police spokesman Lt. Keith Kameg told The Gainesville Sun.

A search for the missing couple began after Dusza's mother, Deborah O'Donnell, arrived at her daughter's condominium at 4333 Bayside Village Drive on Friday to check on her welfare. O'Donnell last spoke to her daughter Oct. 25.

The landlord let O'Donnell in, and she saw her daughter's purse, wallet and cell phone on the kitchen counter. Pets in the home appeared to have been left unattended for days.

O'Donnell, who called deputies to file a missing persons report, also noted that her daughter's vehicle, a red 2006 Jeep Wrangler, was missing.

Detective Troy Morgan was let into the residence and found what appeared to be blood on the west wall of the living room as well as the baseboard of the same wall, the affidavit states. Dusza's purse was on the kitchen counter and appeared to have blood on the outside.

"Detective Troy Morgan also observed a live .40-caliber bullet on the floor in what appeared to be a home office, and a live shotgun shell was observed next to Wendy M. Dusza's purse on the kitchen counter," according to the affidavit.

Deputies applied Saturday for search warrants during the investigation, and this is what they uncovered:

Investigators found a grayish beige Rubbermaid plastic container, gray duct tape, hair, blood, firearms, projectiles, latent fingerprints and weapons.

Investigators also found a receipt from a local Lowe's home improvement store in the pocket of a pair of shorts in the condominium. Items purchased included 55 yards of duct tape and a 45-gallon Rubbermaid container with wheels.

McGinty bought the items Oct. 26 at 7:22 p.m., surveillance video from Lowe's showed deputies.

An interview Saturday afternoon with Dusza's mother and stepfather helped detectives learn Dusza and McGinty were renting a garage on the property. They gave detectives directions to the garage.

Detective Makes Tragic Find

"Detective Troy Morgan smelled a strong odor of decay and noticed numerous flies within the garage," the affidavit states.

Morgan saw a brown, tarplike cover in the center of the garage. He lifted the cover and discovered what appeared to be the container purchased from Lowe's. Duct tape was wrapped around its lid, and the smell emanating from the container appeared to be that of a decaying corpse, according to the affidavit.

An autopsy on Dusza was performed Sunday, said Dick Bailey, manager of operations for the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner's Office.

McGinty previously had been physically abusive to Dusza, and her family disliked him, Dusza's cousin Amy Croce said Monday. Croce said she told Dusza to leave McGinty several times during the couple's three-year relationship. Dusza was afraid for her life with him but went back to him several times, Croce said.

News Channel 8 reporter Samara Sodos contributed to this report. Reporter Josh Poltilove can be reached at jpoltilove@tampatrib.com or (813) 259-7691.

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