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Lakeland Police Say Slaying Of Man Found In Pit Was Retribution

Lakeland Police Department

George Scott Sloan, left, and Michael James Wilson have been charged with second-degree murder.

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By JOSH POLTILOVE | The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 19, 2008

Updated: 06/19/2008 02:22 pm

George Scott Sloan

Michael James Wilson

TAMPA - A feud about a fire set at a mobile home last year led to a Lakeland man's death, Lakeland police say.

William Joseph Hough, 39, was found June 12 floating in a phosphate pit in the Bridge Water subdivision, near State Road 33 and Interstate 4.

The two people wanted in his slaying, Michael James Wilson and George Scott Sloan, turned themselves in Wednesday night at the Polk County Sheriff's Office. They have been charged with second-degree murder.

Lakeland police say Sloan thinks that in 2007, Hough set fire to Sloan's Crystal River mobile home. Sloan had told several people that he wanted to injure Hough because of the fire, an arrest affidavit states.

Hough has not been charged with arson in Florida, court records show.

Also this week, Sloan made threatening calls to a person who saw him before Hough's death, police say. He threatened to sever the witness's "little girl's head and use it for a soccer ball," according to the affidavit.

James Blake Holt, the witness and Hough's lifelong friend, reported Hough missing June 11. Holt told Lakeland police he and Hough were fishing in the Bridge Water subdivision about noon June 10 when Sloan called him.

Holt told Sloan where they were.

It was part of an agreement, Holt told police, where Sloan would forgive his drug debt if he got Sloan within 10 feet of Hough.

About 20 minutes after the call, Sloan and Wilson arrived in a Chrysler PT Cruiser, and Hough tried to escape by jumping in the water, police say.

Holt could not be immediately reached for comment. Police say he told them that after Hough reached the other side of the lake, Sloan and Wilson drove toward Hough in the PT Cruiser.

"Once Hough saw Sloan and Wilson, he began to turn away and run north toward another lake," the affidavit states. "Holt then saw Sloan and Wilson exit the vehicle with Sloan brandishing a large ax or shovel handle type stick. Sloan and Wilson chased Hough toward the lake until Holt could no longer see them. Holt fled the area in fear for his safety."

A third person might have had some involvement, according to the affidavit.

Gillen said police haven't been able to identify a third person.

Holt later met with Sloan, and Sloan told him Hough was dead, according to the affidavit. Sloan told Holt to lie to police about what had happened.

Sloan later made several threatening calls to Holt, and Holt's cell phone verified the time of the calls, the affidavit states.

About 3 p.m. June 12, Lakeland police went to the subdivision and helped family members and Holt search for Hough. An officer found Hough floating in the water, wearing jeans and a white basketball jersey with the number 40 on it. He had a T-handle knife in his right hand.

Lakeland Police Department spokesman Jack Gillen said he wasn't sure whether Sloan or Wilson had wounds from a knife.

Friday, the medical examiner's office performed an autopsy on Hough. The manner of death was deemed a homicide, and the cause of death was drowning, police say. He also had blunt force trauma to the top of his head, which was a contributing factor in his death.

"We did not recover anything that we would consider the murder weapon as of today," Gillen said .

Sloan, 33, lives at 10541 Overland Trail in Polk City, and Wilson, 26, lives at 4815 Kanoy Drive in Lakeland. When the men turned themselves in Wednesday night, they were accompanied by their attorney.

The case is still under investigation, and additional charges are possible, Gillen said.

Reporter Josh Poltilove can be reached at jpoltilove@tampatrib.com or (813) 259-7691.

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