Page 41 - Florida Sentinel 3-12-21

Crime
$9,500 Reward Offered In East
Dontae Morris Re-Sentenced To Life In Prison; Death Penalty Stands
This is the suspect vehicle in the murder case.
Tampa Murder
During the early morning hours of November 4, 2020, a 50-year-old man was fatally wounded by gunfire. Law en- forcement is now offering a combined reward of $9,500 for information leading to the identity of the suspects in- volved in the case.
According to the Tampa Police Department, Calvin Engram was walking from his residence to a nearby gas station to get cof- fee. This was a daily activity for Engram before being picked up for work. However, on that morning, shortly be- fore 5:00 a.m., shots were heard on N. 32nd Street near Mohawk Avenue.
Engram was found suf- fering from gunshot wounds. He died as a result of his in- juries. Police said no property appeared to have been taken and there was no indication he was involved in any type of altercation. Video surveil- lance from a nearby business indicates that a dark colored vehicle was in the area at the time of the shooting and left at a high rate of speed.
Tampa Police Homicide Detectives have been working to develop leads in this case and are asking for help from
CALVIN ENGRAM
the community.
Crime Stoppers of Tampa
Bay is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information that leads to the identification and arrest of the unknown suspect(s) involved in En- gram’s murder. An addi- tional reward of up to $4,500 is being offered by the Florida Association of Crime Stop- pers, in partnership with the Florida Office of Attorney General. The reward expires on June 30, 2021.
Anyone with any information regarding the identity of the suspect(s) and who wants to be eligible for a cash reward is asked to call Crime Stoppers Bay at 1-800-873-TIPS or on- line at www.crimestopper- stb.com.
Last month, a judge re-sen- tenced a Tampa man to life in prison for a murder that took place in 2010. The jury vote in favor of the death penalty in the killing of two Tampa police officers re- mains intact.
Dontae Rashawn Morris, now 36, has been incarcerated since his arrest. He is accused of launching a series of murders that began with the death of 21-year-old Derek Anderson on May 18th and concluded with the double murder of two Tampa Police officers on June 29, 2010. He surrendered to po- lice on July 2, 2010.
Morris was released from Florida State Prison on April 10, 2010. Anderson was shot and killed on May 18th, at an East Tampa apart- ment complex. He is the first of five murders Morris was accused of committing.
Morris was also accused of shooting 41-year-old Rod-
ney Jones outside the Cot- ton Club in West Tampa on May 31, 2010. He was given a life sentence in that mur- der.
Morris was charged with the shooting death of 25- year-old Harold Wright. Wright was shot and killed on June 8, 2010.
On June 29, 2010, Mor- ris reportedly fatally wounded Tampa Police Offi- cers David Curtis, and Jeffery Kocab, both 31 years of age. He was given the death penalty in that trial.
Last year, the U. S. Supreme Court ruled that the jury vote must be unanimous in serious crimes. In the death of the two officers, the new rule did not apply be- cause the vote for the death penalty was unanimous.
State Attorney Andrew Warren, who represents the 13th Judicial Circuit in Hillsborough County, said,
OFFICERS DAVID CURTIS AND JEFF KOCAB
Dontae Morris remains on death row with two death sentences for murdering Of- ficers Curtis and Kocab. This decisions means tax- payer dollars will not be spent to seek an additional, redundant death sentence. The outcome is clear: Don- tae Morris will die in prison, as he deserves.”
Morris was the subject of the largest manhunt ever launched in Tampa, The re- ward for his capture after the murder of the two officers
DONTAE MORRIS DEREK ANDERSON RODNEY JONES HAROLD WRIGHT
High School Student Charged With Having Gun
An 18-year-old Winter Haven High School student was arrested after a loaded handgun was found inside of his backpack. No students or faculty were in- jured.
According to police, on February 26th, during class change, a teacher at Winter Haven High School allegedly smelled marijuana when he encountered De- Shawn Lee Williams at the school.
The teacher sent an email to the school administration and an assistant principal re- sponded to the room. The as- sistant principal asked Williams to allow his back-
DESHAWN WILLIAMS
pack to be searched. Williams reportedly re-
fused and actively resisted causing both Williams and the assistant principal to fall to the floor.
A radio call went out and the school resource officer
responded and gained con- trol of Williams. As the backpack was searched by school officials, they found a loaded handgun inside. Fur- ther investigation found that the gun was stolen from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office jurisdiction. No drugs were found in the backpack, police said.
Williams was taken into custody and booked into the Polk County Jail on the charges of: possession of a weapon on school grounds; carrying a concealed firearm; possession of stolen hand- gun; battery on school em- ployee; and resisting officer without violence.
reached $100,000.
more than
UNCLE SANDY
Peace is the result of retraining your mind to process life as it is, 6, 18, 31, 43, 59, rather than as you think it should be, 2, 26, 39, 44, 61.
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