Face of violence younger

Teens were responsible for some of the most sobering - and talked about - crimes in the county this past year.

By BILL VARIAN

© St. Petersburg Times, published January 1, 2000

Citrus County experienced a coming of age of sorts this past year, which was distinguished by several high-profile crimes involving children.

The climax came almost fittingly on Halloween night -- the night children dress to frighten.

That night, the Florida Highway Patrol says, Richard Burzynski Jr., 17, got into an argument with a pack of teenagers who were trick-or-treating in the Highlands area of Inverness. He returned a short while later, driving his car into the group and killing Citrus High School classmate Allison Decatrel, also 17.

Burzynski also allegedly fired several random shots from a gun belonging to one of his parents.

He fled with passenger Thomas Bonneville, 16, who took over the driving duties, police say. The two were stopped about 1:30 a.m. by Waldo police, who are infamous for their strict traffic enforcement. Their car had a broken headlight investigators say was caused by the collision with Decatrel's body.

Burzynski was indicted in November by a Citrus County grand jury on a first-degree murder charge and five other counts. Bonneville has been released and is expected by prosecutors to testify on the state's behalf.

While Halloween night made Citrus Country residents flinch, perhaps no other alleged crime got them talking more than the puddle-jumping incident.

At first, the arrest of 12-year-old Inverness Middle School sixth-grader Kyle Fredrikson seemed harsh. An initial report by school resource Officer Tim Langer indicated Kyle was charged with misdemeanor disruption of school for trying to grab Langer's wallet, then jumping into a puddle to splash him. Kyle was booked and taken to jail.

But in an amended report, Langer suggested Kyle tried to grab his gun after acting up and saying he wanted to shoot himself, before the splashing. The account appeared to turn sympathy toward the deputy in a year that featured several school-related crimes that had parents fearing for their children.

In January, 15-year-old Michael David Mineer was arrested after bringing a .25-caliber handgun to Citrus High. Investigators say he told friends he intended to shoot another boy for ridiculing his girlfriend. Mineer was sentenced to serve probation.

But the threat of school violence was hammered home after the highly publicized spring shooting at Columbine High in Colorado.

The ensuing national debate over school safety made an October incident at Lecanto High School all the more alarming. Michael Murphy, 16, was sentenced to one of the state's toughest juvenile prisons after wielding a knife and two fake bombs and taking a class hostage.

He surrendered after a teacher persuaded him to release students and a deputy calmed him. Murphy, whose grandmother said he suffered from emotional problems, told a deputy he wanted to be a pirate.

Some headline-grabbing crimes by juveniles occurred before 1999, playing to a finale last year at the new Citrus County Courthouse.

The year opened with details emerging about a drive-by shooting that occurred late in 1998. Witnesses told investigators members of the gang Folk Nation plotted the death of reputed rival gang member William Reeves at a bowling alley. But the murder plans went awry when Michael Rosado, 17, shot and killed the target's brother, Michael Reeves, 15, and wounded Josh Hopkins, then 15, as they smoked outside a Crystal River home.

Rosado was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison plus 16 1/2 more years on a conspiracy charges. Three other teenagers accepted much lighter sentences on conspiracy charges.

Robert Becker, the alleged leader of the Folk Nation gang whom prosecutors accused of masterminding the shooting, was acquitted by a jury.

Meanwhile, 1999 brought a more detailed telling of the shooting death of 16-year-old Warren "Kelly" Elkins a decade ago.

Alexander Myers, now 27, was already serving a 75-year sentence after pleading no contest seven years ago to second-degree murder in the 1990 killing. He admitted to shooting Elkins, whom he claimed had been harassing an ex-girlfriend and threatening him with a knife.

Elkins' skeletal remains were found by hunters in the Withlacoochee State Forest seven weeks after his death, riddled with bullet holes and adorned by little more than the friendship bracelet he wore when he was shot five times in the head.

Myers won a new trial from Circuit Judge Michael Blackstone, who found the former Boy Scout and JROTC leader received inadequate legal representation the first go-round. Among other things, Blackstone found his attorney misled Myers into believing he'd serve only 10 to 15 years. In fact, he still had more than 35 years to go, even with gain time for good behavior.

But during the new trial, jurors heard a videotaped confession of Myers telling detectives: "I couldn't have him haunting me for the rest of my life." They also heard from four of his high school best friends, who testified that Myers hatched a plan to ambush Elkins in a wooded area of Pine Ridge, then took him to the forest to finish the job.

The new trial produced first-degree murder and kidnapping convictions for Myers, who was given a life sentence, with little possibility of parole.

Prosecutors said they hoped the new trial brought a sense of closure to family members.

The story of Milissa Hunt brought only tears.

Milissa, 5, was found floating in water in the back yard of her mother's home off Turner Camp Road July 14, her little frame covered in animal bite marks. Investigators say her mother was inside cooking and the mom's boyfriend was in the front of the house when Milissa was mauled by four pit bullterriers, one belonging to the family, the others visiting.

State child welfare officials are still studying the case. The State Attorney's Office announced it won't press charges against her mother after a three-month investigation.

The dogs are likely to be euthanized.

After another investigation, Inverness police Officer Edward Serocki was cleared by the State Attorney's Office of any wrongdoing in the shooting death of Mark Bransfield, a fleeing armed robbery suspect, on June 7. Investigators say Bransfield loaded a shopping cart at Kmart, where he formerly worked, before he recognized the code for shoplifting over the store intercom system.

Bransfield initially was stopped by a Citrus County sheriff's deputy, who didn't connect him to the emergency call, before Serocki stopped him near the Withlacoochee State Trail. According to an investigative report, Bransfield pulled a gun that misfired. Serocki fired true.

Arrest reports showed Bransfield had a history of firing upon law enforcement officers.

In other news that drew emergency personnel or took place in court:

Arthur Manning Schultz, 48, of Hernando, was beaten to death in August when he attempted to intervene in an argument between two other men. Norman L. Byrum, 45, of Hernando, is charged with second-degree murder. A trial is expected next year.

More than two dozen people died in roadway accidents, including Jade Gilstrap, the granddaughter of Tax Collector Norine Gilstrap, and Jade's son, Nolan. A lawsuit has been filed against the owner of the trucking company that employed Daniel O'Brien, who also died in the wreck, reportedly caused when he suffered a massive stroke at the wheel.

The State Attorney's Office is investigating the death of pedestrian Timothy Moore Taylor, 23, of Orlando, who was struck by a car driven by Citrus deputy George O'Neal Johnson III. The deputy later was fired for having a blood-alcohol level over the limit at which the law presumes impairment at the time.

Inverness bail bondsman Larry Lund was found guilty by a Citrus County jury of conspiring to kill his ex-girlfriend, Robin Abrahamson, after she agreed to be a surrogate mother for Lund and his wife, who had also filed protective injunctions against him.

Fire destroyed the home of beloved educator and longtime coach Archie Dabney in Inverness. Another fire demolished the Izaak Walton Lodge, a popular out-of-the way stop for travelers for decades. Its buildings dated back to 1924 and were among the first in what would become known as Yankeetown.

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