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Suspect held in father's slaying

The 38-year-old has been connected to the 2003 murder of his father, David James Lunz.

By NICOLE JOHNSON
Published January 4, 2006

A man suspected of participating in killing his father in Palm Harbor nearly three years ago was arrested Tuesday, authorities said.

Christopher David Lunz was taken into custody by U.S. marshals as he left a restaurant in Franklin, N.C.

He surrendered without incident to authorities around 12:55 p.m., authorities said.

A first-degree murder warrant was issued for Lunz on Dec. 22 in Pinellas County. The 38-year-old has been implicated in the 2003 murder of his father, David James Lunz.

Also charged in David Lunz's death is William Westerman, 25, who was arrested Dec. 20 in Sylva, N.C. Westerman and the younger Lunz had lived together in North Carolina since 2003, authorities said.

On March 8, 2003, residents of the Sunshine Estates neighborhood near Lake Tarpon called authorities because they hadn't seen David James Lunz in days. Deputies discovered the 56-year-old dead inside his home at 3279 Parkway Place in Palm Harbor.

The case remained dormant until October 2005 when North Carolina detectives linked a .38-caliber handgun discovered at the bottom of a dry lake to Westerman. The gun, which had been reported stolen, belonged to the elder Lunz.

After his arrest, Westerman admitted he and David Lunz drove to Palm Harbor to kill the elder Lunz, according to authorities. Money was the motive, sheriff's officials have said. So far, authorities have said only that Lunz died of upper body trauma.

Lunz and Westerman have been charged with one count each of first-degree murder, according to reports.

Christopher Lunz is being held in the Macon County, N.C., jail. He will eventually be extradited to Pinellas, said Sgt. Jim Bordner, Pinellas County Sheriff's Office spokesman.

David Lunz moved to Palm Harbor in 1998 and worked in the machine shop of Aerosonic, a Clearwater company. He spent a lot of time caring for his wife, Laura, who died in February 2003.

[Last modified January 4, 2006, 01:32:12]