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Son of victim is sought in slaying
David James Lunz was killed in '03. An acquaintance of his son was recently arrested.
By NICOLE JOHNSON
Published December 24, 2005
A first-degree murder warrant has been issued for a man suspected of helping to kill his own father in Palm Harbor two years ago, authorities said Friday.
Pinellas County sheriff's detectives are looking for Christopher David Lunz. His father, David James Lunz, was found dead in his home in the Sunshine Estates neighborhood near Lake Tarpon.
Christopher Lunz, 38, was last seen in Jackson County, N.C., said sheriff's spokesman Mac McMullen.
Lunz had lived in Sylva, N.C. since 2003 with a man named William Westerman, authorities said.
Westerman, 25, admitted to his role in the homicide of David James Lunz earlier this week.
The two-year-old murder case got a boost in October when the Jackson County Sheriff's Office recovered a .38 caliber handgun at the bottom of Cedar Cliff Lake in Jackson County, N.C. A computer check revealed the gun had been reported stolen. Its rightful owner was the deceased Lunz.
Detectives later linked the stolen gun to Westerman. He was taken into custody on Tuesday morning in Sylva, N.C. and charged with first-degree murder.
When questioned, Westerman admitted he and Christopher Lunz had drove to Palm Harbor to kill David Lunz. Money was the motive, according to authorities.
In March 2003, David Lunz, 56, was found dead in his home at 3279 Parkway Place. Concerned neighbors called authorities because they hadn't seen Lunz in days. His death was determined to be a homicide.
Lunz died of upper body trauma, McMullen said, adding that detectives had yet to confirm the specific cause of death.
Christopher Lunz is described as weighing 300 pounds with long blond hair, a mustache and a goatee. Authorities in Jackson and Macon counties are working with Pinellas County deputies to locate Lunz, McMullen said.
Nicole Johnson can be reached at njohnson@sptimes.com or 727 445-4162.
TO HELP
Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Christopher David Lunz is asked to call the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office Homicide Unit at (727) 582-6200 or Crime Stoppers toll-free at 1-800-873-8477.
[Last modified December 24, 2005, 01:33:59]
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