Page 40 - 7-1-16 Friday's Edition

Crime
West Tampa Man Returned To Prison For Violating Terms Of Probation
Shooting Victims
Man Indicted For Murder Of Pregnant Teenager
Last week, a Grand Jury in- dicted a 28-year-old St. Peters- burg man for first-degree murder. He is charged in con- nection with the death of a 17- year-old pregnant teenager.
According to St. Petersburg Police Chief Anthony Hol- loway, the investigation into the disappearance of Morgan Martin, 17, showed that Ja- cobee Flowers planned the murder and disposed of her body.
Police said Martin, who was pregnant at the time, disap- peared shortly after midnight. At the time, she was pregnant with a baby girl. She reportedly told her family she was going outside to meet the father of her baby, known to them as Ja- cobee Flowers, who was 24- years-old at the time.
The teenager never returned home and her mother, Ms. Leah Martin, reported her missing the next day.
Detectives focused on Flow- ers initially, but he denied any knowledge of the teenager’s whereabouts. He also mini- mized his relationship with her, and denied he was the father of her unborn child, police said. The case turned cold as time passed.
However, in March 2015, the St. Petersburg Police Depart-
ment’s newly created Cold Case unit began to re-investigate the case. Veteran Detective Jim Culberson, Detective Amanda Newton, and ATF Research Specialist Ned Dixon were assigned to the case.
The detectives re-interviewed witnesses as well as located new witnesses.
The evidence was presented to the Grand Jury and they re- turned an indictment last week.
Flowers is currently in the Department of Corrections cus- tody at Avon Park on an unre- lated charge. Prior to the indictment, he was scheduled to be released July 1, 2016. However, as a result of the in- dictment, after completing his sentence, Flowers will be transferred to Pinellas County to face the murder charge.
Detectives also believe that there are other people who have information about Mor- gan Martin’s disappearance and murder. “We are appealing to them to contact us now. We are committed to locating Mor- gan’s body, so that her family can have a proper funeral for her and her unborn baby,” Chief Holloway said.
Several local, state, and fed- eral organizations took part in the investigation, police said.
ALBERT PERRY .....murder victim
RONALD PRESSLEY, JR. .....returned to prison for violating probation.
Expected To Survive
LATHERIO WITCHER
TIWAN JONES
JACOBEE FLOWERS ... Indicted for first-de- gree murder
MORGAN MARTIN ... Disappeared July 25, 2012
In 1993, Ronald Pressley, Jr., escaped from prison in Polk County. He was a fugitive for 10 days, and during that time, Pressley killed 19-year- old Albert Perry after the two argued over a water gun.
A judge sentenced Pressley, Jr., to 40 years for second-de- gree murder and 30 years for a weapons charge.
The judge had ordered that Pressley, Jr., serve the sen- tences consecutively, meaning he would have had to serve 70 years. That ruling was later overturned and the sentences
were to run concurrently (at the same time).
With that decision, the judge had no choice but to re- lease Pressley, Jr., from prison on probation in June 2015.
In April 2016, Pressley, Jr., 48, was arrested and charged with violating the terms of his probation as he was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
On June 15, 2016, Press- ley, Jr. was returned to prison to complete his sen- tence, with 22 years and 6 months credit for time served.
St. Petersburg Police report that two men were expected to survive after they were shot Thursday afternoon in the 1300 block of 24thStreet, South.
Police said Latherio Witcher, 23, and Tiwan Jones, 19, were walking down 24th Street, South when a red car pulled up, and a front seat passenger fired several shots at them. Some people riding bicy- cles stopped to help the wounded young men.
Witcher and Jones were shot in the upper body and treated at a local hospital.
Officers were looking for a red four-door vehicle with no tint, possibly a 2010 model.
Officials said they have not established a motive for the shootings at this time.
Suspects Use Dating App To Rob People At Hotel
CAMERON DAVIS
CHARLIE RACHEL WOODLEY BROWN
Pinellas County deputies have arrested three people they say used the dating app Plenty of Fish to lure victims to motel rooms and rob them.
Once people arrived at the Bayview Motel on Bayview Boulevard, investigators said they were robbed and beaten at gunpoint.
Although deputies were aware of two instances on June 19th and this past Fri- day, they believe there could be more.
Deputies arrested Came- ron Davis, 20, Charlie Woodley, 21, and Rachel Brown, 19, Saturday morn- ing.
On the app, detectives said the three suspects told people their names was Jessica and
used the username “Curvy Cameron93.” They communi- cated with their victims through text messages and agreed to meet at a room in the motel.
The victims told investiga- tors they were robbed by two men who took cash and per- sonal belongings before flee- ing.
The first known reported robbery occurred at 8:45 p.m. on June 19th. The second oc- curred at 3:25 a.m. Friday.
Woodley and Davis were charged with two counts of robbery with a deadly weapon or firearm. Brown is charged with being a principal to rob- bery with a deadly weapon or firearm.
UNCLE SANDY SAYS...
If you think 14, 23, 29, 30 Independence Day is America's defining holiday, 3, 8, 10, 12 think again. Thanksgiving 2, 34, 36, 42 deserves that title, hands-down. 1, 7, 19, 22
FRIDAY, JULY 1, 2016 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 23-A