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Jailed man indicted in associate's slaying
By SUZANNAH GONZALES INVERNESS -- A grand jury has indicted a Crystal River man on a charge of killing 48-year-old Donald Craig Caducci, whose body was discovered in Old Homosassa nearly two months ago. James Allen Head, 43, is charged with first-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, an arrest record showed. He remained at the Citrus County jail late Tuesday, where he was held without bail. Authorities said Head and Caducci were associates. However, "I'm not sure we even know what the motive is at this point," said Citrus County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Gail Tierney. Head already was in jail Monday when the grand jury returned the indictment. He had been arrested in late December after he was accused of firing a handgun during a struggle with a Crystal River police officer at the Walgreens drugstore on U.S. 19. The incident started when Head was questioned about a forged methadone prescription, police records showed. The day after his arrest, officials searched Head's residence because he knew the homicide victim. They found a pipe bomb set up to explode, records showed. Head has been held without bail on charges of attempted murder, possession of a firearm by a felon, grand theft and attempting to acquire a controlled substance. The suspected murder weapon, a gun, was found Jan. 6. by detectives in a pond east of Tallahassee Road and almost a mile north of W State Park Street, according to Tierney. Caducci was shot to death, autopsy results showed. Officials are not commenting specifically about the fatal gunshot wound. Other evidence collected during the investigation is being analyzed in laboratories at the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Law officers did not release more information. Caducci's family in Texas was notified about the indictment, the Sheriff's Office said. Assistant State Attorney Don Scaglione, who presented the case to the grand jury Monday afternoon, would not reveal who testified, saying the information was confidential. But Scaglione said evidence was presented by several law enforcement officers and civilians. The presentation began about 1:20 p.m., and the indictment was returned about 5 p.m., Scaglione said. Head and Caducci were "known associates," authorities said. "They were known to spend time with one another, but I'm not sure if they were friends or what," Tierney said. Both men had been arrested more than 30 times. Caducci, whose last known address was 17 S Wadsworth Ave. in Beverly Hills, had been arrested 37 times in the past 12 years and sentenced to jail, Florida Department of Law Enforcement records showed. He was accused of driving under the influence, possessing narcotic equipment, as well as battery, robbery and other crimes. Since 1976, Head, of 7802 W Sherwood Lane in Crystal River, has been arrested almost as many times as Caducci. FDLE reports said he has been convicted of burglary and arrested for disorderly intoxication and possession of marijuana, and has also been sentenced to prison. -- Suzannah Gonzales can be reached at 860-7312 or sgonzales@sptimes.com.
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