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Auburndale Bar Slaying Suspect Is In Jamaica, Polk Officials Say

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By RAY REYES | The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 28, 2008

Updated: 05/28/2008 05:44 pm

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  Davion Parson

LAKELAND - The man wanted in connection with a triple slaying at an Auburndale bar and music venue early Saturday morning has fled to another country, detectives with the Polk County Sheriff's Office said.

An arrest warrant has been issued for Davion Parson, 19, of 3116 Justine Ave. The warrant, accusing Parson of murder, was announced at 12:35 p.m. today, when Polk Sheriff Grady Judd identified him as the suspect in the killings.

After the fatal shootings, Parson's mother paid for his cab fare from Lakeland to Orlando International Airport, investigators said. There, he booked a flight to Miami and on Sunday, flew from Miami to Montego Bay, Jamaica.

Authorities in Jamaica have been contacted and are assisting in the investigation, Judd said in a news conference today.

Parson is wanted in the slayings of two Bay area disc jockeys and another man who was tagging along with them at a show inside the Thunderbird bar.

Antone Neely and Michael Rattigan made up the DJ duo that worked for Poison Dart, a company owned by Richard "Kirky-C" Salmon.

"We believe that this brutal crime was committed in retaliation of an incident that occurred May 10," Judd said.

The sheriff gave this account of what happened that night:

A birthday party for Dwight Earle was being held at the Thunderbird, 723 New Hope St. Rattigan was at the bar and acting as DJ. Parson was at the party with his associates, Deneil Campbell, Vishwanzth Williams and Marvin Chisholm.

Earle was on stage, along with Rattigan, when Campbell asked for the microphone to sing a song. Earle gave him the microphone and after a few minutes, attempted to take the microphone back.

Earle and Campbell began to argue and scuffle and Campbell's friends joined the fray. During the fight, Campbell was stabbed in the buttocks. When the fight moved outside, Rattigan fired several rounds from a handgun into the air to break up the crowd.

Deputies responded to a call of shots fired at the bar at 3:07 a.m. May 10, but found no witnesses to the reported shooting. Campbell did not tell deputies he was stabbed.

During the investigation into the triple slaying, detectives learned that Parson was upset about the May 10 incident and made comments that he was going to kill the people who stabbed his friend, Judd said.

At 2:40 a.m. Saturday, deputies were called to the Thunderbird and found "complete chaos with people fleeing the bar," Judd said. The first deputy on scene heard about five gunshots.

Earle hid in the bathroom when the first shots were fired, detectives said. Neely and Webster were shot and died at the scene. Rattigan was shot in the back and he was taken to Lakeland Regional Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.

Parson ran through the crowd and fled the scene. Later, he called his friends and bragged about the shooting, detectives said.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call the Polk County Sheriff's Office at (863) 534-6379 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-226-TIPS.

Reporter Billy Townsend contributed to this report. Reporter Ray Reyes can be reached at (813) 259-7920 or rreyes@tampatrib.com.

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