Kurt Walczak told police rage against his father over verbal abuse led him to murder the Clearwater man.
By CHRIS TISCH
Published December 2, 2003
CLEARWATER - Kurt Walczak weighs about 400 pounds. The 41-year-old lived with his parents. He was unemployed.
Walczak told police that his father, Gerard T. Walczak, criticized him because of his weight.
Kurt Walczak said he and his father had been arguing about that for several days.
On Friday afternoon, Kurt Walczak got a 10mm Glock handgun he kept in his bedroom and shot his father in the head, police said. Gerard Walczak, 76, died in a doorway between the foyer and an office in his Clearwater home, 1963 Magnolia Drive.
"He never clearly told me why he did what he did that day," said Clearwater police Detective Anthony Monte, who interviewed Kurt Walczak after the shooting. "But he basically gave the background of how he was treated poorly throughout his life and his dad gave him a lot of verbal abuse about his weight."
The reason for Kurt Walczak's sudden burst of anger was of little consequence to police.
He committed murder, police said, and Monte booked him into the Pinellas County Jail on a murder charge Friday night.
He was being held there without bail Monday.
The Walczak family was still shaken by the death on Monday.
But Karen Bonsignori, daughter of the victim and brother of the defendant, said her father was good to both his children.
"My father was a wonderful man and a caring father," said Bonsignori, who lives only a street away from her parents' home. "And I hope my brother will get the treatment that he so desperately needs. And I think that's all I can say right now.
"This is a very difficult time for my whole family," she said. "We wish to mourn in private."
A native of Milwaukee, Gerard Walczak moved to Florida in 1968.
He had attended Marquette University and its law school and was a member of the bar association in Milwaukee. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II.
He owned land and cabins in Tennessee and worked as a real estate broker and a general contractor.
He and his wife, Rita, lived in their home for decades. They had been married 52 years and had two children and one grandson.
It was Rita Walczak who called 911 just before 5 p.m. Friday to report the shooting. Officers arrived and found Kurt Walczak on the porch.
They took him into custody. His father was pronounced dead inside the home.
Police said they have found no evidence of previous violent arguments at the home. Records showed officers had not been called there for anything.
But Kurt Walczak told detectives that his father had consistently criticized him about his weight. He also said his father called him a hypochondriac.
"He just talked about having a long, drawn-out history of being verbally abused by his father," Monte said.
He told detectives that he was a hunter and that was one reason he owned the Glock. State records show he has a concealed weapons permit that expires in 2008.
Monte said Kurt Walczak told police he had been driving around before the shooting. He also had been drinking, police say, though investigators are still trying to verify where he got the alcohol.
Police said he shot his father just after he arrived home. He fired only one shot, hitting Gerard Walczak in the head. Rita Walczak was the only other person there when the shooting occurred.
A public defender has been appointed to represent Kurt Walczak. His attorney has entered a not guilty plea on his behalf.
