Page 10 - Florida Sentinel 1-26-18

Local
Local Financial Expert Continues
His Climb In The Industry
The New Year is a great time to make strong moves in the right direction and this fi- nancial professional is doing just that.
Michael T. McNeal has begun a new chapter in his Fi- nancial Services career by tak- ing his 12+ years of experience and joining the international firm, Sagicor Life Insurance Company.
McNeal is a Tampa na- tive who graduated from Bloomingdale High School in 1991. He continued his educa- tion at the University of South Florida’s Tampa Campus, where he earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration with a Minor in Management in 1996.
While in his senior year of college, he began working in Financial Services. He has gained experience by working with several financial institu- tions: Citicorp in their World- wide Securities Division; Salomon Brothers; and Primerica Financial Services, under the leadership of Re- gional Vice Presidents Arthur and Brenda Hol- ley.
After an 11-year career at Tampa General Hospital, Mc- Neal went back to Financial Services working with Ameri-
MICHAEL T. MCNEAL
can Income Life and World Financial Group under the leadership of James “Dr. Money” Wilkerson in Brandon.
McNeal’s career in finan- cial services continued when he joined New York Life In- surance Company.
He is committed to help- ing those he serves reach their financial goals. He works with individuals, families, churches, senior centers, and businesses to meet financial needs. To learn more, contact him at 813-505-6008 and by email at MTMcNeal@yahoo.com.
You can catch him every Sunday still playing drums for St. John Progressive Mission- ary Baptist Church, where he has faithfully served for the last 32 years.
Jury Acquits Man In Death Of Tampa Teenager
LYFE COLEMAN
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
On Wednesday after- noon, a jury acquitted the man who admitted to fatally shooting a teenager. The man had initially attempted a “Stand Your Ground” de- fense.
The trial of Reginald Cortez Bowman, IV, began Monday. The jury re- turned with their verdict of ‘not guilty’ shortly before 2:30 p.m., Wednesday.
The murder of 18-year- old Lyfe Coleman oc-
midnight on January 1, 2015. It was the first homi- cide of the New Year the Tampa Police Department investigated.
Coleman was shot in his front yard and died at a local hospital. The then unidentified suspect fled the scene.
Detectives investigating the case arrested Bowman on November 30, 2016, and charged him with second- degree murder. The arrest came nearly two years after the murder.
Bowman, 22, testified that he shot Coleman, but claimed he acted in self-de- fense.
Bowman testified that Coleman had contacted him through Facebook about the purchase of a gun. The sale price of the gun was $150.
Bowman went to Cole- man’s house that night and said the two of them became engaged in an argument that led to a physical con- frontation.
He further said both men fell to the ground and the
gun was thrown onto the front lawn. Bowman said he grabbed the gun, looked back and saw Coleman charging at him. He said he pointed the gun and fired once, but Coleman kept coming and he fired a sec- ond time, claiming he was in fear of his life when he shot.
Bowman said he ran after firing the gun, and never knew that he had hit Coleman.
When contacted by the Sentinel, the victim’s fa- ther, LIFE Malcolm said, “‘Beyond a reasonable doubt’ is a tough burden for the State when the killer is the only witness. Our com- munity has exposed Regi- nald Cortez Bowman, IV, as my son’s killer. I’m confident our community will hold him accountable.”
REGINALD BOWMAN ... Acquitted of murder
curred
shortly
after
Unidentified Man Dies In House Fire
Local firemen responded to a house fire in Seffner shortly after 11 a.m., Wednesday. Once the fire was extinguished, the body of an adult man was found in the home.
The death is being inves- tigated by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Hillsborough County Fire Rescue, the Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office, and Hillsborough County Med- ical Examiner’s Office.
According to the Hills- borough County Sheriff’s Of- fice, the victim was discovered when firemen did a “walk through” of the resi-
dence at 10916 Lee Street, in Seffner.
Detectives said they had not uncovered any evidence of foul play during the pre- liminary investigation.
The Hillsborough County
Medical Examiner’s Office will determine a positive identification of the victim. His personal information will be released once his next of kin has been notified. The investigation is continuing.
PAGE 10-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, JANUARY 26, 2018