A man at the wheel of a truck trailing a trailer and a Bobcat lost control on Palm Harbor Parkway by Marina Cove, struck another truck and crashed through a Marina Cove wall. The vehicle caught fire. The driver was saved.
Cops/Courts
Prosecution Asks for Temporary Halt in Cornelius Baker Death Penalty Re-Sentencing
The prosecution is arguing that a Supreme Court decision last week may make the re-sentencing of convicted murderer Cornelius Baker, scheduled to start in four weeks in Bunnell, if unnecessary.
When a Local Government Trespasses a Citizen from Public Property: Palm Coast Is Adopting New Rules
The Palm Coast City Council will approve a new ordinance codifying trespassing procedures and the due-process appeals process as it applies to members of the public who may be barred from public property, including city parks.
Palm Coast Man Faces Child Abuse and Animal Cruelty Charges Stemming from Alleged ‘Spite’
Thomas Ketchum, 52, of Palm Coast, is accused of animal cruelty toward his ex-wife’s dogs and of abusing his 14-year-old child in a confrontation over the daughter contacting her mother.
Florida House Panel Backs Bills Allowing Local Politicians to Arm Themselves at Public Meetings
The House Criminal Justice Subcommittee also approved a measure that would allow people to carry concealed weapons at religious institutions that share properties with schools.
FPC Principal Cautions of Anonymous Threat With ‘Some Specificity’ as Campus Security Heightens
An anonymous threat was reported by way of a tip to Flagler Palm Coast High School officials, who are taking precautions this morning, heightening security sweeps.
Driver Who Fled Is Identified in Crash That Killed Bunnell’s Carl Gandy
The Florida Highway Patrol identified the driver wanted in the hit-and-run crash that resulted in the death of Carl Gandy on Saturday as Lester Rowshawn Jackson, a 30-year-old resident of 7th Place in Trenton, in Gilchrist County with a history of arrests there.
Princess Williams Pleads Out in Attempted Murder of Carl Saint-Felix; She Faces 25 Years to Life
Princess Williams, 22, a former Flagler Palm Coast High School basketball player, was charged in October 2018 of attempted felony murder in the shooting of 19-year-old Carl Saint-Felix in Palm Coast, in a feigned drug deal.
3 Killed in Two I-95 Crashes Within 2 Miles of Palm Coast Parkway, Capping Deadly 4 Days on Roads
Three people were killed–Yvette Mosquera, 49, John Mosquera, 55, and Melody Roberts, 42–in two separate crashes within two miles and two hours of each other on I-95, on either side of Palm Coast Parkway. A Palm Coast teen was killed Thursday evening in the Woodlands, and a Bunnell resident was killed in Volusia Saturday.
Bunnell’s Carl Gandy, 56, Is Killed, Wife Rena Hurt in Hit-and-Run Crash on S.R. 40; Driver Who Fled Identified
Carl Gandy, a long-time and well-known resident of Bunnell who’d been the director of a Stewart-Marchman Act residential treatment center in DeLand, was killed mid-morning Saturday in a head-on crash on State Road 40 in Volusia County. His wife Rena, 46, was injured.
Logan Goodman, 14, Killed, Joey Renn, 20, Critical in Motorcycle Crash in Palm Coast’s Woodlands
Logan Goodman, 14, was killed and Joey Renn, 20, is in critical condition following a single motorcycle crash this evening on Blare Castle Drive in Palm Coast’s Woodlands.
Supreme Court Reverses Unanimous-Jury Requirement in Death Penalty, Raising Questions About a Flagler Case
The Florida Supreme Court said unanimous jury recommendations are not necessary before death sentences can be imposed, backing away from a 2016 decision. The ruling puts in question the case of Bunnell’s Cornelius Baker, scheduled for a re-sentencing in February.
Palm Coast’s Michael Bruns, 27, Jailed on Accusation of Rape; Posts Bail on $150,000 Bond
Michael Bruns, a 27-year-old resident of Palm Coast’s P Section, is at the Flagler County jail on $150,000 bond, facing a first-degree felony charge of spousal rape.
Clerk of Court Prepares for 3rd Edition of Valentine’s Day Mass Wedding on Courthouse Steps
The third edition of the ceremony is again scheduled this year for high noon on Feb. 14, of course, as Clerk Tom Bexley’s innovation is becoming its own tradition, with music, goodies and a touch of wisdom.
Wrongfully Convicted, He Was on Florida’s Death Row for 42 Years. He’s Seeking $2.5 Million the State Owes Him.
Clifford Williams, now 77, gives God the credit for his release from prison, after state prosecutors found he and his nephew, Hubert Nathan Myers, were wrongly convicted in the 1976 Jacksonville murder of a woman and the attempted murder of her girlfriend.
Palm Coast Woman Bites and Injures Deputy in Violent Scuffle as She Fights Arrest
Cherie M. Saunders, a 38-year-old resident of Brookside Lane in Palm Coast, faces two felony charges for violently resisting law enforcement and biting a sheriff’s deputy so hard and so long that he subsequently fainted.
After 50 Calls for Service, Cops Shut Down “Drug House’ and Arrest 3 ‘Frequent Fliers’ at Mondex Property
Tessa Lilly, Gage Watts and Jessica McBryde, all three convicted felons, were re-arrested at at 5000 Palm Avenue in Bunnell’s Mondex, a property the sheriff’s office says was used for drug trafficking.
2020 Flagler Jail Bookings, Sheriff’s, Bunnell and Flagler Beach Crime and Incident Reports (Archived)
Archived 2020 Flagler County jail bookings, commanders’ crime and incident reports, Flagler Beach and Bunnell police shift reports and archive.
Thomas Rando, Felon Behind Death of Hannah Beard, 10, In Car Crash, Dies Of Overdose
Rando, a convicted felon with a dozen arrests in Flagler County since 2008, was on probation for felony drug offenses, and was awaiting trial on a third-degree felony charge of driving on a suspended license and causing the death of Hannah Beard and injuries to others.
Flawed Marijuana-Impaired DUI Testing Means Wrongful Prosecutions and Lax Enforcement
DUI-testing for marijuana impairment is inaccurate, easily disputed and defeated. The result is uneven prosecution. Innocent drivers are being wrongly convicted. Impaired drivers are remaining undetected, posing a potential safety risk to everyone on the road.
Jon Reckenwald and William Kennedy Are Sheriff’s Deputies of the Year at Annual Fund-Raising Gala
In addition to the funds raised for the Gala, the men and women of the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) donated $24,764.00 to FSEAT through payroll deductions throughout 2019.
Florida Senate on Brink of New Rules for Drug Offenses, Lowering Sentences and Restoring Judges’ Discretion
Under the new guidelines, judges would be allowed to consider shorter sentences and lower fines for drug-trafficking defendants who meet certain criteria. But the bill’s fate in the House is uncertain.
Palm Coast’s Ryan Centofanti, 35, Accused of Drunkenly Driving Down A1A and Repeatedly Firing AR-15-Type Rifle
Ryan Centofanti, whose breath test produced readings of .196 and .178, allegedly fired an AR-15 rifle repeatedly (21 spent shell casings were recovered) as he drove from Beverly Beach into Flagler Beach early this morning.
Three Hospitalized, Including Elderly Couple, In Early-Morning Crash at Belle Terre and Rymfire
An elderly couple and a third individual were hospitalized early this morning following a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of Rymfire Drive and Belle Terre Parkway in Palm Coast.
Road Fatalities Plummeted in Flagler in 2019, With Half the 12 Deaths From Motorcycle Crashes
The numbers of road fatalities in Palm Coast and Flagler County plummeted to 12 in 2019 compared to previous years, by some measures reaching or approaching a 20-year low despite the population doubling in that time span.
For Seven Days, Flagler Sees Florida’s Broken Death Penalty Machinery in Action
Though David Snelgrove was finally sentenced to life in prison rather than death this week, his trial shows how the 20-year ordeal in court could have been avoided with the same result two decades ago, had capital punishment not been on the table.
Death Row’s Cornelius Baker a No-Show at His Own Pre-Trial Ahead of Potential Reprieve
Lawyers and the judge in the re-sentencing case of convicted murderer Cornelius Baker focused on a lengthy questionnaire about the death penalty the defense planned to submit to potential jurors. The judge ordered the questionnaire significantly shortened.
Howard Minami, 56, Found Dead of Self-Inflicted Gunshot at Palm Coast Home
Howard Minami, a 56-year-old Palm Coast resident who for years owned a garage door company that bore his name, was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at his home at 35 Fairways Circle Saturday morning, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
Life in Prison Without Parole, Not Death, For David Snelgrove as 20-Year Ordeal Over Fowler Murders Ends
The seven-day re-trial over the penalty for the 2000 murders in Palm Coast’s B-Section was necessary because two previous verdicts were ruled unconstitutional. Today’s verdict means that years, maybe decades, of further proceedings will not be necessary.
After Dueling Witnesses and Sniping Lawyers, Jury Must Now Decide Whether to Call for David Snelgrove’s Killing
David Snelgrove’s double-murder of Glyn and Vivian Fowler in Palm Coast 20 years ago comes down, in this third sentencing trial in two decades, to a jury willing to believe he was a calculated killer as opposed to a crack-addicted mentally impaired man who snapped.
Lance Mussack, 41, of Flagler Beach, Arrested on Child Porn Charge
Lance C. Mussack, 41, was incarcerated on a felony charge of possession of child pornography–alleged images of his girlfriend’s pre-pubescent child, taken while she was asleep.
Victor Williams, 43, Sentenced to 10 Years for Sex With 16-Year-Old Boy, and Hears Furious Earful From His Victim
Victor Williams was defiant to the end at his sentencing, while the victim’s 50-minute testimony described Williams as a “monster” who caused the victim’s life to spiral into depression, drugs, suicidal thoughts and self-loathing.
Search Warrant in Palm Coast’s B-Section Suggests Target In Sight in Circle K Murder Investigation
For the sheriff’s office to advertise tactics their search for the Circle K killer from last November points to confidence in the trail, the sort of confidence that clearly seems not to be jeopardizing detectives’ ability to find their suspect, or suspects.
A Day After a Teacher Is Arrested for Battering a Student, a 15-Year-Old Is Arrested for Battering FPC Dean
A 15-year-old Flagler Palm Coast High School student was arrested and charged with battery against FPC Dean Erin Davis, the student’s second such charge involving a faculty member since August.
Death of Alexandra Lawson, 22, at Yacht Harbor Marina Ruled a Drowning, But Investigation Ongoing
Alexandra Svetlana Lawson had been reported missing by her boyfriend earlier this week, and was found in the water at the marina Wednesday morning.
Grim Day for Snelgrove’s Defense as Prosecution Makes Largely Unanswered Case for Death
A jury tasked with deciding whether to recommend death for David Snelgrove saw a psychologist for the defense unable to convincingly show that Snelgrove is a simple-minded individual who could not weigh the severity of the double-murder of an elderly couple he committed in Palm Coast 20 years ago.
Jeffrey ‘Rocco’ Paffumi, 47, Teacher at Buddy Taylor Middle, Arrested for Battery on a Student, 14
Jeffrey Allen Paffumi, a teacher at Buddy Taylor Middle School, was arrested after physically throwing a 14-year-old student out of his classroom after the student would not turn down his music and called him a name.
Video and Pictures Revive Vivid Reactions to Double-Murder in Snelgrove’s Death-Penalty Trial
To reservations from the defense, the jury watched video and saw pictures of the crime scene following the murders of Glyn and Vivian Fowler in Palm Coast 20 years ago, part of a penalty phase–the third in 18 years–requiring the jury to decide whether to recommend death for Snelgrove or life in prison.
3 Arrested in Palm Coast After ‘Smash-and-Grab’ Thefts at Racquet Club and E Section
Three Orlando residents were arrested and charged with numerous counts of fraud, possessing stolen credit cards, burglary and other charges following an alleged brief spree of thefts in Palm Coast Tuesday.
Palm Coast Fugitive Who Taunted Sheriff With Where’s Waldo Cartoon Is Caught in D.C.
Steven V. Young disappeared last spring while deputies were searching his residence in palm Coast’s P Section for forged currency. He taunted the sheriff after he was featured on Fugitive Bingo–and was found and arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service.
For Jury in Double-Murderer Case, Snelgrove’s Mental Disability Is a Gray Matter of Life and Death
David Snelgrove’s double-murder of an elderly couple in palm Coast 20 years ago is not in dispute, but whether he should be put to death for it is. A jury will have to contend with the brutality of the murders as opposed to the mitigating factor of his mental disability.
Daniel Engert, a New York Town Manager and Jail Administrator, is Flagler Sheriff’s New Jail Chief
Daniel M. Engert, who will run the Flagler County jail and the sheriff’s courts division, was a 29-veteran of the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office and an elected councilman and town manager in a small Upstate New York community for the last 13 years.
20 Years After Double Murder in Palm Coast, David Snelgrove Faces Death Penalty Trial for 3rd Time
David Snelgrove murdered Glyn and Vivian Fowler in Palm Coast in 2000, but is in yet another penalty phase of his trial this week because two previous recommendations for death were not unanimous.
Charges Will Be Dropped, But Flagler Deputy Petkovsek Returns to Duty Facing Stiff Disciplinary Measures
Flagler County Sheriff’s detective Richard Petkovsek was off duty when he was arrested outside a St. Augustine bar for disorderly intoxication and resisting arrest. He was reinstated after losing 42 days of pay and will be on probation for a year, among other disciplinary measures.
Two Men Arrested After Fleeing Deputies During a Traffic Stop, With 323 Grams of Pot in Their Trunk
The two men were pulled over in the early hours of Monday morning for a routine traffic stop on State Road 100, by the I-95 overpass when the driver slammed on the accelerator and fled toward Palm Coast Parkway.
In Flagler, Life-Saving Policing You Can Be Proud Of
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office is entering its eighth year without a single officer-initiated shooting of a civilian, a heroic achievement that contrasts tragically with jurisdictions across the country where 900 to 1,000 civilians lose their lives annually.
Ronald H. Collins Jr. Charged With 2nd Degree Murder in Death of Woman Found in West Flagler Monday
Ronald H. Collins Jr., 51, turned himself in for the killing of Jillian Petrotto, 31, whom he said he killed in a rage over her wanting to buy drugs. He’d killed her in Volusia, then brought her to Flagler.
Two Open Florida Supreme Court Seats Draw 31 Applicants, Two From 5th District
The candidates, primarily appellate and circuit judges from across the state, are seeking to replace former justices Robert Luck and Barbara Lagoa, who were appointed by President Donald Trump to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
James Campbell Scott, 22, Dies in Suicide on Palm Coast’s Cherokee Court
James Campbell Scott, a 22-year-old resident of 7 Cherokee Court in Palm Coast, died of a gunshot wound to the head in an apparent suicide Thursday, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
Michael Cummings Sentenced to Life In Prison for Jealousy-Induced Murder of Ex-Wife
Circuit Judge Terence Perkins sentenced Michael Cummings, 48, to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the brutal killing of his ex-wife Faith Cummings in their Point Pleasant home in Palm Coast two years ago.