Tampa 19-year-old accused in bus driver's slaying
The victim was living his childhood dream, driving school and public buses, his mom says.
By ABBIE VANSICKLE, Times Staff Writer
Published December 21, 2007
TAMPA - Claude Lee Kegler III's mom had his Christmas present all picked out: pin-striped pants for church.
On Thursday evening, her voice was sweet and kind as she remembered her son as a boy, years before his life would end when he was fatally stabbed at his home.
As a child, he would often play-act like he was driving a bus. When he grew up to drive a Hillsborough County school bus and a HARTline public bus on the weekends, she wasn't a bit surprised.
"That was a childhood dream, a childhood dream," said Vera Kegler, 55. "He used to always pretend to drive a bus when he was a kid. I said, 'Finally, you went to your lifetime dream.' He was a people person. He loved dealing with the people, the public, but mostly the kids."
On Thursday, police accused a 19-year-old Tampa man in Kegler's death.
Tavaris M. McKinnie of 3417 47th St., was a visitor in the bus driver's home late Saturday or early Sunday when police say the murder happened.
On Sunday morning, Kegler's younger brother found Kegler, 36, naked on the floor of his bedroom at 3826 E River Hills Drive.
McKinnie and Kegler met on a bus. Kegler drove a HARTline bus on the weekends, and McKinnie was a passenger, said police spokeswoman Laura McElroy. School district records show he also was employed in transportation. State records show no criminal history.
On Saturday night, a man came to Kegler's apartment and began banging on the door, Kegler's younger brother told police. Kegler and his brother shared the residence.
When the brother woke the next morning, Kegler's 1994 white Ford Taurus was gone, the apartment door unlocked, police said.
The brother walked into Kegler's bedroom, where he found the body, police said.
Homicide investigators questioned McKinnie about Kegler's death. McKinnie, who was being held at a Hillsborough jail on unrelated robbery charges, told investigators he went to Kegler's home Sunday, robbed him and stole his car, police said.
Detectives searched McKinnie's home and found Kegler's belongings and bloody clothing. The clothing has been sent to a crime lab for testing.
Officers found Kegler's car near McKinnie's home in the 4700 block of 18th Avenue. Inside the car, investigators found a bloody knife.
Investigators have also accused McKinnie of using Kegler's car to rob a group of six people at 1 a.m. Sunday at 22nd Street and Eighth Avenue.
McKinnie also forced a 16-year-old boy into Kegler's car, robbed him and dropped the teen off at 18th Street and Seventh Avenue, unharmed, police said.
McKinnie has been arrested 14 times, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
His first arrest came at 14, when the Hillsborough Sheriff's Office accused him of possession of burglary tools and vehicle theft, records show. It was unclear how that case or the other juvenile cases were resolved.
In January, Temple Terrace police accused him of burglary of a dwelling, grand theft, giving false information to a pawn broker and dealing in stolen property. He was convicted on a charge of trafficking in stolen property, and the other charges were dropped, records show. It's unclear what the punishment was for the charges.
In jail records, McKinnie's alias is listed as "T Bone." He was held without bail Thursday evening.
Kegler's mother declined to talk about McKinnie. She said she would speak only of her son.
He loved eating out at Ybor City restaurants, just watching the people pass on the street. He was close to his family and made friends with ease, she said.
"Remember him for the kindness, for the person that he was. He always was kind to everyone," she said. "He tried to respect everyone."
Visitation will be today, from 5 to 8 p.m. The family will receive visitors from 7 to 8 p.m. at Northside M. B. Church, 5706 N 40th St., according to the Wilson Funeral Home Web site.
Times researcher Caryn Baird contributed to this report. Abbie VanSickle can be reached at vansickle@sptimes.com or 813 226-3373.