Brennan Wakey, 25, of Port Charlotte, has been charged with murder. According to the Charlotte County WebCrime is ranked on a scale of 1 (low crime) to 100 (high crime) Charlotte County violent crime is 14.8. [23][24] These came to be known as the "Fort Myers Eight". Mom, Sons Are Linked to Dad's Murder After His Body Is Found Covered in Concrete Beneath New Shed, Fla. Police Say They've Identified a Serial Killer After 20-Year Investigation into 3 Women's Murders, Denver Police Say Man Who Killed Cop 40 Years Ago Is Also Responsible for 4 Women's Murders, 5 Days After Charging Boyfriend with Her Murder, Police Find Body of Missing Calif. Woman, Victim of 'Killer Clown' John Wayne Gacy ID'd 4 Decades After Death by DNA from Tooth, Miami Real Estate Agent Labeled a Suspected Serial Killer Following Attacks on Homeless Men: Police, Bodies of 4 Women Found in Va. In April 2021, detectives took DNA samples from Jerry Lombards sister, brother and son, which led them to verify his identity. Forecast: Thick fog could impact your Wednesday morning, Car noise pollution regulations may be coming to Collier County, Boat dumped on side of road in Lehigh Acres, Island Coast baseball prepares for new season after making history, winning state title. "Some of the people who have knowledge werequite young, but it's 10 years later. Probe into six brutal slayings in North Port/Port Charlotte stallsposted 12/14/01. After unsuccessful attempts to make contact through negotiators, Harris committed suicide. "Unfortunately, some of the testimony has changed and that doesn't sit wellwith prosecutors," FDLE special agent Jim Myers said. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. There are a total of 53,771 sex offenders in Florida. Where is 2022 data? Several nearby schools were placed on soft lockdown but the lockdown has since been lifted. Hed lure them into the woods, tie them to a tree for bondage photos, then thats when hed kill them. He had been killed only 10 days earlier. WebYour chance of being a victim of crime in Port Charlotte may be as high as 1 in 28 in the central neighborhoods, or as low as 1 in 76 in the northwest part of the city. The case was covered by many true crime television shows, such as: The New Detectives, Most Evil, Forensic Factor and Buried in the Backyard. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. The body had been outside for about a month and had rope burns on the skin and the genitalia had been removed and discarded. Moreover, the rate of property crime in Port Charlotte; burglary, larceny ($50 or more), grand theft auto, and arson; is 9 per 1,000 residents. The man was not identified[3] until 2021, when the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office announced that new DNA testing confirmed the victim as Gerald (Jerry) Lombard, of Lowell, Massachusetts. He was one of 17 siblings, but the brothers and sisters had not heard from him since around 1991 or 1992. [citation needed], On February 1, 1994, the mutilated corpse of a man was discovered in Punta Gorda. Thereality, the investigators acknowledge, is that memories are fading andleads are growing colder. The guns are World War II-era German"drilling" rifles -- double-barreled shotguns with a rifle underbarrel. Investigators say they believe the killings were committed by the same men.One of the strongest theories is that the killings were drug-related. In February 2020, the Charlotte County Sheriffs Office released an updated rendering to the public with the hope someone would recognize him and come forward to put a name to the victim, Detective Mike Vogel told Dateline at the time. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. Detective Vogel told Dateline that the cold case team continues to investigate Jerrys case. WebIvan Caesar. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Daniel Conahan was convicted for the murder of Richard Montgomery one of four men found in the two years following the discovery of Lombard's body in 1997. WebThe rate of violent crime in Port Charlotte is 2.59 per 1,000 residents during a standard year. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. The attorneys decided there wasnot enough evidence to take the case before a grand jury. [17] On August 17, 1999, Judge William Blackwell deliberated for 25 minutes and found Conahan guilty of first-degree premeditated murder and kidnapping. Local News Desk December 13, 2021. PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. Family and friends said they are remembering the life of Susan Harris. According to police reports, someone broke into the Port Charlotte home ofPaul Stasny, 71, and his wife, Rita, 69, after midnight on Dec. 19, 1991.The assailants shot the couple and ransacked their Frisco Terrace home,stealing various items, including liquor and guns. It is due to hard work and dedication from our agency, which will help our victims family find some sort of justice for this senseless and heinous crime, said North Port Police Chief Todd Garrison. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a10b16adb3f8690 Previously known as John Doe #1, DNA confirms identity as Jerry Lombard. A woman killed by her husband Wednesday morning was a retired Charlotte County Schools teacher. Positively identified in September 2022, as 30-year-old Robert Ronald "Bobbie" Soden of Fort Myers, Florida, who disappeared in 1996. Myers hopes the $10,000 reward offered by FDLE will entice someone to comeforward. [8], Another man's skull was found in Charlotte County on April 17, 1996. [19], Conahan is currently housed at Union Correctional Institution in Raiford, Florida. Murder of James Bailey Cash Jr. Anton Cermak. "There are people out there that could help us, but have chosen not to. According to authorities, a niece in the family had submitted her DNA to Ancestry.com a few years ago, which was likely how the genetic genealogy match was made. Poor. Murder of Johnnie Mae Chappell. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. Stateprison records show that Villegas was disciplined twice for abusing inmateswhile working as a guard from November 1981 to 1984. Copyright 2023 Waterman Broadcasting of Florida, LLC, Port Charlotte man arrested for murder after stabbing woman 38 times, 6-year-old girl accidentally shoots North Port grandmother, Immokalee man found guilty of murder with a firearm, Red tide alert lifted for Lighthouse Beach Park in Sanibel, Forecast: Thick fog could impact your Wednesday morning, Car noise pollution regulations may be coming to Collier County, Boat dumped on side of road in Lehigh Acres, Island Coast baseball prepares for new season after making history, winning state title. Neither does my son," said Villegas over thebarks of two Rottweilers, which spring to life when visitors knock. The NeighborhoodScout search engine is covered under US Patents No. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. I never heard any noises over there no fighting no arguing, Smith said. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. A A. I never walk alone at night. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". They no longer live in the area,but many of the people interviewed during the investigation still do.Investigators occasionally pay them visits, hoping to glean new informationthat may put the case to rest. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The case remains open. NeighborhoodScout provides exclusive crime risk analytics for every neighborhood in America with up to 98% predictive accuracy. Investigators have strong theories about what happened that night, but saythey don't have the evidence they need to prosecute the case. This is possible by associating the 9.4 million reported crimes in the U.S, including over 2 million geocoded point locations. When police arrived on scene, they found a woman lying on her back with both hands behind her body and her mouth taped. "said Melanie Bonjour, the Stasnys' daughter. After Smith drove off, she received a frantic phone call from her son. "It was one of the worst crime scenes I've ever seen," said North PortPolice Lt. Robert Estrada, a 20-year veteran law officer. He had ligature marks to multiple parts of his body and his cause of death was determined to be asphyxiation. "But having asuspect and having a case you can win in court are completely different. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Performance & security by Cloudflare. The vehicle, while still in reverse, rolled across the street into a neighbors fence. He was found dead inside the home, according to CCSO. I feel safe walking in most areas. [12][13] Speculation became rampant about a serial killer, and the media dubbed the murders "The Hog Trail Killings", named for the wooded areas in which the bodies of the victims were found.[13]. Smith said the Harris were always quiet neighbors. 8,376,755. Your chance of being a victim of murder in Port Charlotte People who live in Port Charlotte generally consider the northeast part of the city PHOTO PROVIDED. WebInvestigators hope new composite leads to victim's identity in 'hog trail murders'. Lombard's body was discovered by authorities on February 1, 1994, after a local construction company worker reported a human body in the woods near Wyandotte Avenue and Tulip Street in northern Charlotte County. Thereis no statute of limitations for homicides. Web A man committed suicide after barricading himself inside a Port Charlotte home following a domestic-related shooting. WebThree Lee County women suspected of stealing around $700 in tequila from a Total Wine in Port Charlotte were arrested on Wednesday. The car rolled out of the driveway, which is downhill, through the ditch and all the way to the fence on the empty lot next to my house.. Conahan, now 67, is currently on death row in the Florida State Prison, according to authorities. This yields a total of 330 sex offenders in Florida per 100,000 residents which is 24% greater than the national average. From our analysis, we discovered that violent crime in Port Charlotte occurs at a rate higher than in most communities of all population sizes in America. The second was a man who had been raped, murdered, and mutilated only the day before, and was identified as Richard Allen Montgomery. [6], A third man's mutilated body was discovered in North Port on March 7, 1996. They were found naked with their genitals mutilated, leading detectives to believe this was the work of a serial killer. Click to reveal Map Browse By State. Updated annually. Curtis Chillingworth. Conahan was born in Charlotte, North Carolina, and moved with his family to Punta Gorda, Florida, shortly after birth. He was arrested by Charlotte County Sheriffs Office during a traffic stop Thursday. While completely nude, Allyn Harry Harris, 70, fired multiple shots into the car in the [18] Conahan succeeded in moving the penalty phase of his trial to Collier County but, in November, a jury recommended a sentence of death and Judge Blackwell agreed on December 10. A A CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. A wanted fugitive was taken into custody Friday weeks after one person was injured in a shooting at a Port Charlotte home. While completely nude, Allyn Harry Harris, 70, fired multiple shots into the car in the driveway of 912 Great Falls Terrace, according to the Charlotte County Sheriffs Office. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". [21][22] On March 23, 2007, eight skulls and skeletal remains were found in a wooded area in Fort Myers, the largest such discovery in Florida history. Hog Trail Murders- Can you identify John Doe #1? (The US average is 22.7) Port Charlotte property crime is 52.8. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. In 2013, a cold case team sent John Doe #1's tooth to a lab for DNA testing in an effort to identify him, according to a news release from the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office. Reflects 2021 calendar year; released from FBI in Oct. 2022 (latest available). Additionally, Douglas had been over to their residence on more than one occasion, with access limited to the garage or outside areas, the womans daughter mentioned. He had been killed only 10 days earlier. Another theory is that the two homes were similar enough in size, color andlocation that the killers broke into the Stasny home by mistake. Wejust haven't reached that crossroads.". He was found dead inside the home, according to CCSO. "It's a solvable case, but we need some help to do it. This is important because the overall crime rate can be further illuminated by understanding if violent crime or property crimes (or both) are the major contributors to the general rate of crime in Port Charlotte. A sixth body was identified as 21-year-old Richard Allen Montgomery, a man who had gone missing just the day before he was found. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. FILE PHOTOOn Dec. 19, 1991, Sarasota County authorities remove one of four bodies fromthe Villegas home on Chamberlain Boulevard in North Port. [2] He was employed by Charlotte Regional Medical Center in Punta Gorda. Our nationally-comparable school ratings are covered under US Patent No. 7,043,501 and 7,680,859. [16], Conahan was tried for the 1996 kidnapping and murder of victim Richard Allen Montgomery. American murderer, rapist, and suspected serial killer on death row, Facial reconstructions of five of the victims, List of death row inmates in the United States, List of serial killers in the United States, "Inmate Population Information Detail - Daniel Conahan". Home News Crime Port Charlotte man arrested for murder after stabbing woman 38 times. [20], Several more bodies were discovered in the Charlotte County area with similarities to the Hog Trail Killings: one in 2000, two in 2001, and one in 2002. Crime, Popular Communities Near Port Charlotte FL. After months of investigating, 53-year-old Michael Douglas of Port Charlotte was arrested for her murder. And so he was given the name John Doe #1. He added that authorities believe John Doe #1 was also one of Conahans victims. Investigators talk cryptically about the case, preserving the finer detailsfor a court date they hope will someday come. Theycould prove critical in connecting people to the murders. WebCold cases and unsolved crimes in Port Charlotte, FL. There is only a little crime in this area. Your IP: The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". The grim discoveries led detectives to believe the men, including John Doe #1, were victims in what became known as the "Hog Trail Murders.". Web8:55 PM EST, Mon December 12, 2022. Investigators believe the rifles stolen from the Stasny home could play akey role in solving the homicides. Good. They led quiet,middle-class lives in a remote area and had no apparent enemies, accordingto relatives and investigators. Two hunters noticed buzzards circling in the area and decided to follow the birds. Luis Villegas hadworked as a cook at the Quality Health Care Center in North Port. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. The State Attorneys Office announced Friday it will seek the death penalty for Ryan Clayton Cole, 28, the man charged with the murder of 15-year-old Khyler Edman. One of the men was identified as 21-year-old Richard Montgomery, who authorities said was a drifter. A SWAT team responded to the scene as well. [9][10][11] The first body was later identified as Kenneth Lee Smith. Other US patent applications are currently pending. CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. A man committed suicide after barricading himself inside a Port Charlotte home following a domestic-related shooting. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. The chance that a person will become a victim of a violent crime in Port Charlotte; such as armed robbery, aggravated assault, rape or murder; is 1 in 459. Port Charlotte has an overall crime rate of 12 per 1,000 residents, making the crime rate here near the average for all cities and towns of all sizes in America. 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