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Victim's Family Sues Hillsborough School Board Over Slaying

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By TOM BRENNAN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 5, 2009

TAMPA - The family of a Blake High School secretary who was murdered in 2007 sued the Hillsborough County School Board today, saying it was negligent in hiring, supervising and disciplining the school custodian who killed her.

Elalia Walker's family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the board in Hillsborough County Circuit Court seeking damages in excess of $15,000. Walker's husband, Michael, is suing on behalf of her survivors, including him and her two sons and two daughters.

School district spokeswoman Linda Cobbe said she could not comment on pending litigation.

Stanley "Larry" Telfare was convicted of second-degree murder and false imprisonment Feb. 19 in the October 2007 slaying. He is being held without bail while awaiting sentencing March 12.

Trial testimony showed Telfare and Walker had an on-again-off-again affair and that Telfare had a history of stalking and confronting Walker. She sought a restraining order against him in April 2007, but a judge refused to issue it saying there was a lack of evidence.

Blake's principal ordered the two to stay away from each other. Walker was so afraid of Telfare that she had an escort when she left the office, including trips to the restroom, her boss testified.

Witnesses said Telfare was seen lurking in the school's parking garage and waited for Walker to return to her van after a junior varsity football game. Telfare later was seen beating Walker unconscious in a parking lot at the Temple Terrace subdivision where he lived and then throwing her limp body back into the van.

A security guard at a nearby juice factory said he saw a woman being pushed or jumping from the van minutes later. He said the driver put the woman back in the van and refused any assistance despite a 38-foot blood trial left by the woman.

Telfare drove home and got his wife to follow him to drop the van off at Walker's home.

Medical testimony showed Walker died of massive head injuries suffered when she hit the pavement.

Telfare's defense attorney said Walker jumped from the van because she was upset that Telfare would not have sex with her that night.

The lawsuit claims the school board should have known Telfare had a history of violence against women and that it failed to protect Walker from him.

Reporter Tom Brennan can be reached at (813) 259-7698.

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