Sacrifice, shock as search for police killer stretches into fourth day

Authorities say the two Tampa officers Dontae Rashawn Morris is accused of gunning down during an early morning traffic stop might not be the only people he has killed since he was released from prison less than three months ago.

A grim-faced Police Chief Jane Castor said Morris is a suspect in a May 18 slaying in Tampa and that police want to question him in connection with two other recent homicides.

The explosive announcement Thursday morning raised the level of intensity on the third day of a relentless manhunt that already involves hundreds of local, state and federal authorities.

"He's a coldblooded killer," Castor said of 24-year-old Morris, who has eluded capture since pre-dawn Tuesday, when he is said to have gunned down Officers David Curtis and Jeffrey Kocab in East Tampa.

Castor said Morris became a "solid suspect" in the May 18 killing of Derek Marquis Anderson after information came to light during the massive search.

Anderson was walking home with a backpack full of freshly laundered clothes when he was shot in the back at the Kenneth Court apartment complex. Detectives describe the shooting as a botched robbery attempt.

Anderson's mother takes comfort in knowing a suspect has been named.

"I hope they get him, I really do," Wanda Gilchrist said. "I just pray to God that he don't get killed before he gets into court. If he's any kind of man, then turn himself in."

For Anderson's father, the pain of losing a son washed over him again when a detective called this week and told him Morris was a suspect in the case.

"What do you feel when your kid gets killed?" Lee Andrew said. "It just hurts. I hope they catch him."

Castor declined to discuss the other two homicides in which police say Morris may have been involved.

During the third day of the pursuit, detectives sifted through numerous tips while tactical units from multiple agencies searched door to door in several Tampa neighborhoods for Morris or his associates.

"This is the No. 1 priority of the city of Tampa: to catch Dontae Morris," Mayor Pam Iorio said.

"He's the worst of the worst."

Castor said she thinks Morris is in the Tampa Bay area, but authorities have expanded the search to other parts of the state. She said there is a slight chance he has made it out of the region.

Morris' photograph has been placed on billboards across Florida and is featured on the website for the Fox television show "America's Most Wanted."

The reward for his arrest is $100,000, the largest for a fugitive in the city's history.

Castor urged residents to be vigilant but not to panic.

"Everyone should be concerned until he is in custody," she said. "However, the community can take comfort in knowing that the entire law enforcement community will not rest until Dontae Morris is behind bars."

Police continued searching for Morris' 21-year-old brother, Dwayne Daniel Callaway, who is wanted on two counts of violation of probation stemming from a domestic battery charge. Detectives want to question Callaway about his brother.

Curtis and Kocab were shot in the head at close range while trying to arrest Morris about 2 a.m. Tuesday on a misdemeanor warrant from Jacksonville, authorities said. He is wanted on two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the police slayings.

A wake for the officers will be held today; the funeral will be held Saturday at Idlewild Baptist Church in Lutz.

On Thursday, more than 100 people attended a brief, somber ceremony for the fallen officers at the Tampa Police Department's downtown headquarters. The names of Curtis and Kocab had been etched on a granite monument honoring officers killed in the line of duty since 1895.

"Today we add the 30th and 31st names, something that every officer prays we never have to do again," Castor told the crowd, which included the relatives of Curtis and Kocab.

Family members did not address attendees or speak to reporters. The ceremony concluded with the widows being escorted to the granite monument to unveil the names.

Other relatives then were brought to the memorial to take photos and run their fingers over the engravings.

Kocab's widow, Sara, began to feel ill as the crowd dispersed. She was treated by paramedics at the scene. She felt better by late evening, said Tampa police spokeswoman Laura McElroy.

Since Tuesday, the stone memorial has been lavished with bouquets of flowers, clusters of candles, handwritten notes to the officers and other symbols of respect.

Iorio told the victims' families that this outpouring from the community means they are not alone in their grief.

"This is a gathering place for citizens to express their love for you," she said.