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.
Cops/Courts
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.
Flagler Cats Bingo Business Shut Down on Allegations of Operating as Illegal Gambling Parlor
Flagler Cats Bingo, opened last year in Flagler Beach as a fund-raising arm of Flagler Cats, was raided and shut down by the sheriff’s office after 48 gambling machines were seized. Owner Mari Molina says she was not aware of any gambling.
Why Dorothy Singer, Convicted of Murdering Her Husband, Was Back In Court Today, Set for Re-Trial
Dorothy Singer was convicted in a trial last year of murdering her husband Charles at their West Flagler home, but an appeals court granted her a new trial because of an error trial judge Dennis Craig committed.
A Convicted Attempted Murderer Freed 13 Years Ago Will Go Back to Prison on Sex Charges Involving 15-Year-Old Cousin
A jury took just 20 minutes to find Elijah Jackson, 51, guilty of sending a lewd picture of himself to his 15-year-old cousin and luring her for sex while he lived with his adult girlfriend of 12 years.
Roy Longo Honored for 504 Missions on Fire Flight, 30 Years as Flagler Rescue Paramedic, and that Dolphin
Roy Longo, who became a local hero after saving a dolphin in distress with a county ambulance in 1999, was honored for his 30 years of service tonight, the last seven as a medic on Fire Flight, the county’s emergency helicopter.
Prosecution Seeks To Take Picture of Defendant’s Erect Penis. Judge Says No. Twice.
51-year-old Elijah Jackson’s trial began in Bunnell this morning. He faces accusations of transmitting an image of his penis to his 15-year-old cousin. The prosecution on two occasions sought to have Jackson’s penis photographed while erect, for comparative purposes.
Fight at FPC Over Student’s Clothing Turns Into Brawl, But No Charges Are Filed
Sheriff’s deputies concluded the Dec. 11 fight had started within the school, then spilled into the parking lot by the Auditorium, involving dozens of students, and briefly continued in the parking lot near Olive Garden and through SnapChat.
Crime Rate in Flagler and Palm Coast Continues Steep Drop in 1st Half of 2019
The crime index in Flagler County and Palm Coast dropped in the first six months of 2019, continuing a steep decline of the last two years, falling 15.1 percent compared with the first six months of 2018. The declines were especially steep in Flagler Beach and Bunnell.
Calling It Terrorism, Judge Finds FPC Girl Guilty of Threatening to Kill Teacher; She’s Appealing
Circuit Court Judge Chris France, applying an extremely broad definition of terrorism, today found a 17-year-old former Flagler Palm Coast High School student guilty of threatening to kill her teacher through written messages to a fellow-student a year ago.
Johnnie Thomas Jr. Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for ‘Cold-Blooded’ Killing of Robert Emmanuel
Johnnie Spydale Thomas Jr., a 26-year-old Bunnell resident with a long record of crime and incarceration, was sentenced to 25 years in prison this morning for bludgeoning 60-year-old Robert Emmanuel during a crack deal outside Emmanuel’s Bunnell home two years ago.
Watch The Station Sparkle: Palm Coast Firefighters Release Another Fire Truck Light Show
This is the second year in the row the Palm Coast Fire Department released a holiday entertainment video to help create a larger audience for their general messages of community involvement and Fire safety around the holidays.
Bistro Café and Mr. Pancho Mexican Grill on Palm Coast’s Utility Drive Targets of Overnight Burglaries
The burglars stole some $4,000 in cash from one business and $150 from another, causing about $600 in damage along the way and the loss of about $500 worth of food that had been stored in a fridge they’d left open. The burglars are at large.
Man and Woman Severely Injured in T-Bone Crash at Bulldog Drive and SR100; No Students Involved
Two people were severely injured in a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of State Road 100 and Bulldog Drive–or Aviation Way, the road that leads to the county airport–at 1:41 this afternoon.
Amicus Curiae: The 16-Year-Old FPC Girl Was Racist. She Was Stupid. She Was Not Criminal.
In the case of an FPC girl who wrote bigoted threats about her teacher last December, the prosecution is making outlandish claims that it was act of terrorism, stretching the meaning of a 2018 law passed after the Parkland massacre. The law does not apply, as even the prosecution acknowledged the case’s weaknesses.
School Deputies Now Equipped With Ankle First Aid Kits and Bullet-Proof Rifle Plates
The Flagler County Sheriff’s school resource deputies are now all equipped with rescue tactical ankle medical kits and rifle plates in case of traumatic incidents. The ankle kits were acquired through a grant, the plates through sheriff’s funds.
Federal Judge Refuses to Dismiss Lawsuit Challenging Juvenile Solitary Confinement
Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker issued a 21-page order Friday that cleared the way for the case to continue. Walker wrote that the plaintiffs have “alleged sufficient facts” to bring the lawsuit.
Flagler Beach Officers Punch and Tase Man To Subdue Him During Domestic Violence Incident
The incident with the 26-year-old Flagler Beach resident was a culmination of loosely related altercations involving Hobbie that had progressively become more violent. He’s being held at the county jail on $120,000 bond.
Flagler Humane Society Volunteer Injured and Hospitalized After Attack by Pitbull Terrier
A dog at the Flagler Humane Society attacked a volunteer on Thursday (Dec. 5), severely injuring the volunteer, who was hospitalized at Halifax hospital in Daytona Beach. The dog, a pit bull terrier mix, was euthanized.
Bunnell Man Shoots Dog In Front of Its Teen Owners After Dog Had Mauled His Cat; No Charges
Nickolas B. Monroe, a 26-year-old resident of Walnut Avenue in Bunnell’s Mondex neighborhood, fired at and killed the animal as its owners, a 15-year-old girl and a 17-year-old boy, had just been looking for it.
Girl Who Made Bigoted Death Threats About English Teacher at FPC Is Tried, But Judge To Rule Later
A circuit judge this afternoon tried a white, 17-year-old former Flagler Palm Coast High School student accused of making death threats laced in bigoted language against her black English teacher a year ago.
First of Two Christmas With a Deputy Events Tonight as Cops Donate Record $19,000 for Kids
For the 12th year of the event, there will be two Christmas with a Deputy in Flagler County, thanks to a Walmart grant and a record fund-raising drive by the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office’s employees.
Association Opposing 240-Boat Storage Facility in the Hammock Takes Its Case to Circuit Court
The Hammock Community Association is challenging the Flagler County Commission’s decision to allow the Hammock Harbour project to go forward, claiming A1A zoning rules don’t allow for a warehousing-type facility. The county does not consider the planned development to be a warehouse.
FPC Student Faces Felony Charge After NFL Argument Escalates to Death Threat and Insults About Appearance
Two Flagler Palm Coast High School students arguing over the NFL had an altercation that led to one boy making written death threats against the other boy and his parents, on Instagram.
Night Fire on Selborne Path in Seminole Woods ‘Rekindles’ in the Morning, Destroying New Home
A house at 17 Selborne Path in Palm Coast’s Seminole Woods was fully engulfed in flames this morning, and keeping even emergency responders at some distance as explosions roiled the structure’s interior.
Belle Terre Elementary Principal Culver Under Criminal Investigation By FDLE as District Announces Interim
Belle Terre Elementary Principal Terence Culver is under criminal investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Jessica DeFord was appointed interim principal at the school.
Unlikely Judge Orders Grinch to Community Service at Humane Society Food Drive and Pet Adoption
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office has teamed up with the Flagler Humane Society to host the Santa Paws Food Drive and Adoption Event on Tuesday, December 10, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Flagler Humane Society, at 1 Shelter Drive in Palm Coast.