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Investigators Still Searching For Clues In 2008 Homicides

Tribune file photo

Timothy Chipley, 34, was last seen alive Jan. 28 with friends at O'Brien's Irish Pub on Dale Mabry Highway.

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By JOSH POLTILOVE | The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 7, 2009

Not every case gets cracked easily.

Many homicide cases in the Tampa Bay area last year remain unsolved, and investigators say some won't yield arrests anytime soon.

Last year's high-profile homicide cases include a missing martial artist whose body was found in a pond, a racehorse aficionado found dead at his home, a woman who called 911 from inside her trunk and a truck driver shot while waiting to deliver pallets of bleach.

TIMOTHY CHIPLEY

Chipley, 34, was last seen alive Jan. 28 with friends at O'Brien's Irish Pub on Dale Mabry Highway. His body was found Feb. 1 in a pond at the Countrywood Apartment complex, less than a mile from the pub.

He had studied martial arts and had trained for his "trip of a lifetime" to Thailand for further study, friends said. The Chamberlain High School graduate died before he could make that trip.

"It's still an open case," Maj. Harold Winsett said. "We're still investigating. But there's nothing new in terms of any new information that were prepared to release right now."

GREGORIO VELAZQUEZ

Velazquez, 52, was driving a Dodge truck north on Rome Avenue near Cherry Street about 11:53 a.m. on Feb. 3 when a man on a bicycle shot him in the head. He died of his injuries days later.

Tampa police are seeking tips from anyone who knows about the shooting.

ROGER EARL LEE

Lee, a 66-year-old Georgia truck driver, was fatally shot Feb. 22 outside the Clorox Products Manufacturing warehouse at 3601 E. Columbus Drive while waiting for admittance to deliver 26 pallets of bleach.

The case remains open and active. Clorox Products Manufacturing Co. has offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of whoever killed Lee. In addition, National Freight Trucking offered a $5,000 reward and Crime Stoppers offered a $1,000 reward.

JABAR MCNAIR and MISHELL MCDANIELS

On Feb. 22, McNair, 25, and his girlfriend, McDaniels, 19, who was three months pregnant with his child, were found in a burned-out Ford Expedition in a delivery area behind the Tyrone Gardens shopping plaza in St. Petersburg. Investigators believe the pair was shot in another alley, at Fifth Avenue South and 45th Street, and then driven in the Expedition to Tyrone Gardens, behind a hair styling school. At the time, McNair was scheduled to go on trial on charges of sale and possession of cocaine, and family members said he had made some bad choices.

Maj. Mike Puetz of the St. Petersburg Police Department said investigators have received some leads, and interviewed potential suspects, but have not amassed enough evidence to make an arrest.

DALE TYRONE MATTHEWS JR.

Matthews, 19, died in his kitchen at 3222 E. Louisiana Ave. about 10:20 a.m. on Feb. 26, clutching a baby bottle against his chest. He had been caring for his 4-month-old daughter while the child's mother was at work, Tampa police said. The infant was unharmed.

A friend found Matthews dead after stopping by to work out at the house, police said. Matthews did not answer the door, but the friend heard the baby crying, found a side door ajar, entered the house through the garage and discovered Matthews in the kitchen.

Police spokeswoman Janelle McGregor urged anyone with information about the shooting to contact police. "We definitely still need the community's help," she said.

SUSAN NEWSOME and LAURIER MYRICK JR.

Hillsborough deputies found two people dead March 11 in a second-floor unit of Camelot Apartments, 13135 N. 19th St.

Newsome, 36, and her son, Myrick Jr., 17, were shot to death, relatives said. Newsome's 18-year-old daughter, Jessica Myrick, was shot once in the shoulder and twice in the stomach, they said.

The following day, investigators said they wanted to talk to Kito R. Felton about what he knows.

The case is ongoing, and investigators still want to talk Felton, a 32-year-old Tampa man, sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Carter said recently.

SYRIL OBINKA, LINDA FAISON and JACK LAGRAND

These are the three cab drivers who were fatally shot in 2008 in Pinellas County, and to this date no one has been charged in the slayings.

The death of Obinka, a 45-year-old Nigerian immigrant, is perhaps the biggest mystery of the three. The Blue Star cab driver died May 2 after he was shot in the abdomen on 26th Street South, and investigators have received few tips, said Maj. Mike Puetz.

Yellow Cab driver Linda Faison, 39, was found July 12 near Azalea Middle School hours after she picked up a passenger, but detectives have received some pretty good tips in her case, Puetz said. In Clearwater, in September, cab driver Jack Lagrand, 50, was fatally shot. One suspect was seen in a surveillance video leaving the scene of the homicide at 25706 U.S. 19 North.

No suspects have been identified or arrested in the Clearwater incident, said Elizabeth Watts, Clearwater's public safety spokeswoman.

SANTOS DE LA CRUZ and QUIRINO VELASQUEZ

On May 16 in Pasco County, two migrant workers were gunned down outside Resurrection Park in the Dade City area known as Tommytown.

Friends said the roommates, Santos de la Cruz, 33, and Quirino Velasquez, 46, went to a convenience store that Friday night and never returned. Both men were Mexican citizens and worked long hours in orange groves to send money back home to the wives and children they left behind.

Detectives haven't released a possible motive and no suspects have been named. Anyone with any information on either of these Pasco cases or others is asked to call the tips line at 1-800-706-2488. Calls can be anonymous.

FLAVIO SANCHEZ HERNANDEZ

In Pinellas County, the fatal shooting of a 20-year-old Mexican also provided a glimpse into the lives of newly-arrived immigrants to this country.

On June 10, Hernandez was found in a bunk bed, with a gunshot wound to his head, in a Seminole home he shared with several others who, like him, worked at the Super Buffet restaurant in the Seminole Mall.

The suspects have been described as three Hispanic males, who wore dark long sleeve pants and shirts, do-rags, and sunglasses. They are believed to be Mexican. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Don Wiwi at the Pinellas County Sheriff's robbery and homicide unit. The number there is (727) 582-6200. Tipsters can also call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-873-TIPS.

JASHAVANTAL PATEL

A man with a handgun entered a Citgo gas station in Davenport on June 20 and shot Patel, a 54-year-old clerk from Winter Haven.

Investigators say robbery was the motive, but the masked bandit didn't make off with any money.

Authorities say the shooter is black and about 6 feet tall. He was wearing a light-colored hoodie, blue bandanna, knee-length jean shorts and black sneakers. The investigation continues.

LEVI DIXON JR.

On July 27, Dixon was alone at a friend's house at 2536 W. Walnut St. when someone kicked open the door about 4:19 a.m. and opened fire. Dixon, 17, ran from the house but died of his injuries not far away.

The teenager was preparing for his senior year at Blake High School and had a four-year scholarship available from Bethune-Cookman University, his family said. He dreamed of becoming a singer and performed with a group, the Top Prospects, as well as his church choir.

The case is ongoing and active.

JAMES FRY

Fry's body was found Aug. 23 in his burning Chevrolet sport utility vehicle in Thonotosassa. The 47-year-old South Tampa man suffered smoke inhalation and burns.

The last time his daughter had heard from him was Aug. 22. The following day, he was going to buy her a television for her new apartment. Then they were going to go to Livingston's Amusement Center to eat pizza and shoot pool. He never showed up.

"We've got nothing new on that case," Winsett said. "It's still an open case for us."

JOSEPH WIDO

Perhaps the most high-profile unsolved case in Pasco County is the slaying of Wido, 82, of Port Richey. On Aug. 28, Wido and his wife Roberta, 79, were awakened when a stranger appeared in their bedroom around 2 a.m. Detectives say Wido, a recipient of the Bronze Star, instinctually tried to protect his wife and their Timber Oaks home.

Shortly after, Wido was killed in his bedroom in front of his wife. Authorities haven't said how he was killed. Roberta Wido was bound, and the intruder stayed in the home for up to 30 minutes.

Pasco detectives are still searching for a man age 35 to 40, about 5-foot-9 and about 170 pounds. He is thought to have dark eyebrows, dark eyes and dark hair. He was wearing a white baseball cap with No. 20 in black lettering, a white T-shirt, jeans and red gloves. He's thought to be left-handed and Roberta Wido told investigators he spoke with a "Northern" accent. Detectives believe the crime to be random. Sheriff's office spokesman Kevin Doll said the case remains active but that investigators haven't been getting tips and have "just hit a wall."

LAWRENCE HIGGINS

Higgins, a 61-year-old Odessa racehorse aficionado, died Oct. 8. Investigators have declined to say how he died other than that there was "trauma to the upper torso."

A business associate found Higgins dead at his Odessa home on Oct. 10, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said there was no evidence of a robbery or break-in. Higgins was a businessman associated with tracks across the country. He owned Icarus Aircraft Inc., a company that used blimps as airborne billboards, as well as several horses.

"We've still got leads we're following up on," Winsett said. "We have leads that develop out of leads that we chase, so to speak. We've still got a number of things that we're doing in that case, but nothing that I can talk about publicly right now."

JENNIFER JOHNSON

Johnson's body was found in a vacant house in Lakeland on Nov. 18, three days after relatives in Tampa reported her missing. Johnson, 31, had missed the 2nd birthday party for her daughter. She was last seen arguing with Vincent George Brown Jr., 38, the father of her child, before she disappeared.

Before her death, Johnson phoned 911 from the trunk of a car; Plant City police intercepted the call but were unable to find her.

Tampa police have called Brown the prime suspect in her death. He was sentenced in November to 13 months in prison for violating his probation on a drug charge. Police say they are waiting for the results of forensic tests from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement before they determine their next move.

CLARIFICATION: This story has been edited to indicate that no suspects have been identified or arrested in the Clearwater slaying of cab driver Jack Lagrand, said Elizabeth Watts, Clearwater's public safety spokeswoman.

Reporters Valerie Kalfrin, Lisa A. Davis and Stephen Thompson contributed to this report. Reporter Josh Poltilove can be reached at (813) 259-7691.

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