Mary Shaw Mathews, 88, was found to have died by strangulation and over-medication on Feb. 21 at her Palm Coast home. Her son Richard told detectives that she had asked him to end her life as she had been suffering and declining fast. Today’s outcome reflected a judicial system grappling with the gray area between mercy killing, which is not allowed by law, and a form of induced death.
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Flagler Beach Police Seeking Help Identifying Publix Liquor Thief
The suspect stole some $400 worth of liquor from the Publix at 414 Beach Village Drive in Flagler Beach and drove off in a white hatchback vehicle of unknown make.
Recovery of Crashed Plane Again Suspended as Tides Interfere; Raymond Miller, Presumed Dead, Still Not Positively Identified
Raymond A. Miller, 77, of Palm Coast, took off from Flagler County Airport in a Northeasterly direction Friday morning and never returned. Authorities are seeking the public’s help in any sighting as the search continues.
Flagler Sheriff’s Deputy Tasers 80-Year-Old Man With Dementia: He Was Wielding a Knife
A Flagler County Sheriff’s deputy on Thursday used his Taser stun gun against an 80-year-old man suffering from dementia as the man refused to put down a butcher knife as he sat in his back porch. The man had earlier allegedly threatened members of his family.
A Car Wreck at Publix Escalates Into Battery On a Cop and Hostility at Hospital’s ER
Richard Westervelt, a 23-year-old ex-felon–he was released from state prison two years ago–ran from the scene after a car wreck near Publix Tuesday night, then continued battling a cop at the scene and at the hospital before he was restrained in irons and arrested.
39-Year-Old Palm Coast Man Accused of Raping “Physically Impaired” Woman, 21
The case rests on DNA evidence tying Gavin to semen from a rape kit the alleged Palm Coast victim completed two days after the incident, the details of which she does not recall.
Palm Coast Man Accused of Kicking and Killing Playful Puppy For Interrupting Masturbation
Wesley Jackson, 28, who has a history of abuse and criminal charges, was at his girlfriend’s empty house trying to pleasure himself at the computer when Little Man, the puppy, kept jumping on his leg, trying to be playful. It was the dog’s last leap.
34 Homes Report Damage in Latest Flooding Totals as Rain Resumes; Graham Swamp Overflows
After 36 hours of calm, the National Weather Service has issued a flood advisory, in effect until 1:30 p.m., and a flood watch through this evening for Palm Coast, Bunnell, Flagler Beach and the rest of Flagler County, with rain aggravating flood-prone conditions from the weekend.
73-Year-Old Man Robbed at Best Western Off Old Kings Road; Detectives Seek Help
Debary residents Herman and Judith Reimers, 73 and 71, were staying at the Best Western off of Old Kings Road on Sept. 22, when an alleged assailant claiming to be a TV repairman went with Herman to his room and robbed him of his wallet.
Pit Bull Tased Then Euthanized After Attacking 3 People in P-Section; 3rd Incident in 3 Days
In an incident that culminated in a third attack caught on video, the pit bull was briefly neutralized with a Taser dart before an animal control officer removed the dog from the scene and three people were hospitalized.
Facebook “Relationship” Status Between Man, 21, and 15-Year-Old Palm Coast Girl, Leads to Statutory Rape Charge
Tavarez Calloway met the girl at the Flagler County Fair then was allowed to move in when he had no other place to go, as long as the cpouple did not date, according to what a parent told police.
Palm Coast Woman Fires Handgun at Charging Pit Bull as She Walks Her Dog in B-Section
A 25-year-old woman walking her dog on her own property on Palm Coast’s Belvedere Lane when she fired her 38-mm handgun at a neighborhood pit bull that was charging her. The dog was not injured, but it quickly retreated.
17-Year-Old Runaway Palm Coast Girl Found Unresponsive at Bunnell’s Budget Motel
A 17-year-old Palm Coast girl reported missing Saturday was found unconscious in a motel room Monday morning, where she’d checked in with a 27-year-old the night before, in a case Bunnell police terms “suspicious.” The girl was still in a coma Wednesday at a hospital in Jacksonville.
Two Flagler Estate Residents Face 39 Counts Of Animal Cruelty Each After Foul Discovery
A circuit judge ordered the St. Johns sheriff’s office to take possession of 17 cows, nine pigs, 11 goats and two horses found in neglectful conditions. The animals are to be auctioned.
Shaun Whitt of Palm Coast Is Sentenced to Life in Prison For Serial Rapes of 11-Year-Old Girl
Shaun Whitt, formerly of Palm Coast’s F-Section, would assault the girl in her bedroom for more than two years after she turned 11, after her mother would go to work. He denied the allegations.
Palm Coast Boy, 9, Faces Battery and Molestation Charges After “Playing Around” With 11-Year-Old Girl
The 9-year-old boy is accused of grabbing the girl’s breasts from behind, asking her to “give me a hug or I’ll rape you,” and hitting her with a flip-flop when she got away from him.
Weekend Violence: An Arrest Over Child Abuse, Another From a Baseball-Bat Assault
Jolynn Martin, 29, of Bunnell, was arrested following a violent argument with two adults, one of whom was holding a 2-year-old girl, who allegedly got punched. Martin Wright, 54, of Bunnell, was arrested for allegedly taking a baseball bat to another man’s head in an argument.
Sheriff’s Office Seeking Help Identifying Thieves Scheming With Credit Cards at Kangaroo Stores
The suspects entered various Kangaroo Express stores and requested to purchase a $500 prepaid Visa credit card at each location.
Flagler Deputy Sees Man Choking a Woman After Pulling Him Over For Erratic Driving
Sheriff’s Cmdr. Paul Bovino noticed William Murphy fighting with a woman as they drove north on U.S. 1 Tuesday evening, and pulled him over, only to then see Murphy allegedly escalate the confrontation.
86-Year-Old Palm Coast Woman Injured in I-95 Roll-Over as Other Driver Travels On, With 2 Children on Board
Walter Wine, a 39-year-old resident of Zellwood, allegedly rear-ended Palm Coast’s Mildred Rivas, sending her car rolling against the guardrail as he drove on with a 3-year-old boy and a 9-year-old girl on board and later sought to hide the pick-up in a dirt driveway.
Flagler Fire Rescue Rolls Out Two, $219,000 Ambulances, Workhorses of Local Emergencies
The county has seven ambulances on duty 24 hours a day (11 units in all) that each log 5,000 miles and 1,000 calls a month, by far the majority of the 14,000 annual emergency calls in Flagler.
Road Rage Incident Leads to F-Section Confrontation, Vandalism to 2 Cars, Then Jail
Winston Slaughter, a 21-year-old resident of 3 Farragut Drive in Palm Coast, is accused of vandalizing the vehicles of a neighbor after a violent confrontation that left him lacerated.
2 Shots Fired at Florida Park Drive and Flynn Way in Altercation Between Occupants of Two Cars
Information is sketchy–the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office says it won’t release the report because it’s the weekend–but sheriff’s spokespersons confirmed Sunday that two shots were fired early Sunday morning during an altercation involving occupants of two vehicles at Florida Park Drive and Flynn say.
2 Men Electrocuted By Power Line in Attempt To Plant Flagpole at Cloverdale Ct. Home
The men struck a 13,000-volt power line as they were attempting to plant a long flagpole–bearing an American flag and an Italian flag–down a plastic bracing pipe right under the neighborhood’s power line.
Ex-Verdego Employee Accused of Defrauding Customers and Company Van Theft
Travis Heidinger, a 40-year-old resident of 5 Llanes Place in Palm Coast, was booked at the Flagler County jail Tuesday on four counts of grand theft after an investigation concluded he’d defrauded at least customers and Verdego and stolen company property.
Xanax, Beer and a Louisville Slugger: Mondex Man Accused of Battering Woman Over Drugs
Richard Spear, a 50-year-old resident of Daytona North is accused of battering a 30-year-old woman and threatening her and her ex-boyfriend, and smashing the ex-boyfriend’s car with a baseball bat.
Fearing Ambush, Cops and Medics “Stage” Before Responding to Reported Shooting in Bunnell
The incident took place just after midnight Thursday in South Bunnell: 911 got several calls about an alleged shooting and a victim who’d been injured, but threats against police on social media led to precautions against an ambush.
U.S. Marshals Shoot and Kill a Man In Espanola; He Was Sought for July Shooting in Bunnell
A man was shot and killed in Espanola this morning as the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force and the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office were attempting to serve a fugitive warrant a home there.
Xena Carrion, 17, of Palm Coast, Missing a Week, Is Back Home, Safe
Xena Carrion had run away from home on Aug. 5 after her grandfather reprimanded her for sneaking out of the house. She was returned safely on Aug. 13.
Sheriff’s Office Seeking Public Help Identifying Accused Flagler Beach Mail Thief
The investigation revealed that once the suspect removes the mail from the mailbox, he submits a change of address form and has the victim’s mail forwarded to a vacant residence, where he collects pertinent information.
Pair of Suspects Arrested For Home Invasion Robbery on Palm Coast’s Bradmore Lane
A 67-year-old Palm Coast resident was robbed the evening of on Aug. 3 at her Bradmore Lane home. The boyfriend of an ex-roommate, and the roommate, were arrested after the pair used the woman’s credit card at three locations in Ormond, Daytona and South Daytona.
Tom Gargiulo, Leading Patron of Palm Coast Arts, Is Seriously Injured in Bike Crash
Gargiulo, the founder of the Tom Gargiulo Foundation and creator Flagler’s Artist of the Year award, among numerous other supports of local arts, was bicycling on Pine Lakes Parkway when he was struck by a car as he crossed Wynnfield Drive Tuesday morning.
2 Suspects Wanted for Robbing Pizza Delivery Man at Gunpoint Arrested at Flagler-St. Johns County Line
A concurrence of motorists’ calls to police combined with a ground and air search in the area of the Flagler-St. Johns County Line Wednesday morning to capture two men suspected of robbing a Domino’s delivery man at gunpoint and stealing his car in Broward County.
Three Palm Coast Teens Arrested in Venus de Milo Vandalism at European Village
They are Tyrone Walker, 19, of 55 Fischer Lane, Joseph Orza, 18, of 12 Conley Court, and Sequawne Solomon, 18, of 42 Louisberg Lane. Two additional suspects were identified, but their names were redacted, suggesting they are underage.
Going ISIS in Palm Coast: Vandals Smash a Venus de Milo Statue at European Village
Sometime in the night of July 9, a group of five teen-looking individuals were caught on surveillance video smashing a small replica of the famed Greek Venus de Milo. The statue will cost $3,500 to replace,
Bunnell Eliminates 40% Of Police Department as Part of Wider Cost-Cuts and Lay-Offs
Seeking to cut an $800,000 deficit that represents a fifth of the city’s budget, the Bunnell City Commission Monday cut its commission salaries by 10 percent, eliminated its grants department and laid off staff that have been mainstays of the Bunnell administration and police department over the years.
Three Arrested After Chase and Violent Armed Robbery Leaves 2 Victims Injured on SR100
The armed robbery at 11 p.m. at SR100 and Belle Terre Parkway took place just as firefighters were battling a house fire in Grand Haven. The subsequent car chase and crash required pulling personnel from the fire to the crash scene.
Authorities Locate Brandon Connolly, 17, Runaway Since July 19
Brandon Connelly has run away three times before, and his father believes that his grounding until a court date was the contributing factor in the latest running away.
Man Is Shot and Wounded Near MLK Blvd. And S. Cherry in Bunnell, Suspect Still at Large
A man was shot just after 8 p.m. tonight (July 23) in the area of Martin Luther King Blvd. and South Cherry Street in South Bunnell, the city’s police chief, Tom Foster, said this evening. Authorities are investigating.
Facing DUI Charge, Palm Coast Man Attempts to Bribe Deputy With Dinner
Ricardo Feo Sr., a 58-year-old resident of Princess Geraldine Place in Palm Coast, offered dinner to deputy Joseph Barile, in exchange for his freedom, as he was being booked into the Flagler County jail.
Palm Coast’s Justin Brannick, Accused of Downloading Child Porn, Is Acquitted
Justin Brannick, a 31-year-old Palm Coast resident who spent the past year at the Flagler County jail on charges of downloading child pornography, was acquitted last week at the end of a two-day trial in Flagler County Circuit Court.
Feared Drowned, 39-Year-Old Mother Is in Serious Condition at Hospital
Holly G. Weizer, 39, had just arrived in Palm Coast with a friend children for a week’s vacation. In late evening her children found her under water. Her teen-age son attempted to perform CPR on her.
Andrew Dandurand, Arrested For Threatening To Kill Ex With Assault Rifle, Is Dead
Andrew Dandurand, 24, of Palm Coast’s R-Section, who attempted to hang himself at the St. Johns County jail on July 11, died Wednesday evening of his injuries. He’d been jailed June 15 after allegedly threatening to kill his ex-girlfriend, her boyfriend and himself.
Sheriff Asking Public’s Help in Locating Tiffany Alyce Chapman, 16, Missing Since Sunday
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office is attempting to locate Tiffany Alyce Chapman, 16, of 65 Blaine Drive in Palm Coast. She left her residence around 6 p.m. on Sunday, July 13.
Mom’s 63-Year-Old Boyfriend Accused of Molesting 13-Year-Old Palm Coast Girl
Robert A. Zetrouer, 63, was held at the Flagler County jail on $75,000 bond on Friday on charges of lewd or lascivious molestation and attempted lewd or lascivious battery on a 13-year-old girl in May and June.
Palm Coast Man, Angered Over PlayStation, Accused of Battering Pregnant Wife; Rash of B-Section Burglaries End in Arrest
Cody J. Lynch, 21, faces an aggravated battery charge for allegedly battering his pregnant wife when he couldn’t find his PlayStation 4. Some half dozen break-ins involving mostly unlocked cars in Palm Coast’s B Section ended with the arrest of Michael Shawn McRoberts Jr., 18, who lives in the same neighborhood.
Thomas Underwood of Palm Coast Sentenced to Life in Prison for Raping Children He Babysat
Thomas Underwood was sentenced to two consecutive life terms on seven counts of raping children and one count of lewd and lascivious molestation. Flagler County Circuit Judge J. David Walsh imposed the sentence today on cases dating back to the 1990s.
Palm Coast Man Faces Child Abuse and Assault Charges After Firing a .357 During an Argument
James d’Esposito and his wife had just been celebrating his 43rd birthday when, back home, an argument exploded, with three children at home, and D’Esposito retrieved a gun, fired it, and was heard threatening to kill himself.
Mobil Station on SR100 Vandalized; Deputies Make 30 Arrests Over July 4 Weekend
The Mobil gas station and convenience store on Palm Coast’s State Road 100, near I-95–notorious for being the site of the execution-style murder of a store clerk 17 months ago–was vandalized by a 19-year-old Palm Coast resident Thursday, and Charles Cowart was among the 30 people arrested over the holiday weekend.
Palm Coast Man Faces Animal Cruelty Charge in Death of a Dog Left to Perish in a Storm
Bryan Leonard, a 25-year-old Palm Coast resident, faces two related animal-cruelty charges in the death of a pit bull called Roscoe who was discovered leashed and dead from choking on an island near Bings Landing in May.