Day: October 25, 2013

State of Florida vs. DeShon Thomas

Three FDLE Crime Lab Analysts were called by State Prosecutor Jack Campbell to give testimony regarding their lab reports. None of their testimony was incriminating against former Tallahassee Community College Student and Taco Bell employee DeShon Thomas. The State Attorney’s Office completely ignored FDLE Firearms lab report when its results didn’t fit into their theory or support earlier search warrants that had been executed by Leon County Sheriff’s detectives. DeShon Thomas was 17-years-old when he was charged with murdering his pregnant ex-girlfriend, 20-year-old Laqecia Herring and her 17-year-old brother, Sterling Conner Jr. who’d been diagnosed as bipolar. Thomas and Herring had a relationship that lasted only 6 weeks. During the six weeks, Thomas lived at the residence where the victims were found murdered. After Thomas and Herring ended their relationship—they remained friends—Thomas visited the residence. They ended their relationship 3 months prior to the murders. Both had entered into relationship with others.

During the trial proceedings, State Prosecutor Jack Campbell told Trentin Ross how he (Ross) sat directly across the street in a parked car from the victims’ residence, while Thomas was inside the victims’ residence committing the murders. Then Campbell described to Ross how Thomas directed him (Ross) to drive to the Family Dollar store on Hwy 20, which is less than a mile from the victims’ residence. Campbell tells Ross that there at the Family Dollar store is where Thomas got out of the car and put the gun in a dumpster.

During the investigation this lead fell completely flat with Leon County Sheriff detectives Dawn Dennis and Det. David Farcas. It also fell flat with the K9 Unit’s Deputy Robert Wright and his partner Tag. Deputy Robert Wright and Tag Did Not go directly across the street where Ross claimed to have been parked. Not only did Tag not go directly across the street—Tag didn’t go in that direction. Instead Tag went in the direction of the Family Dollar store—but Tag didn’t hit in the area of the store or the dumpsters. (click link) K9 Report

There is no question that Thomas worked at least 7 hours at Taco Bell—getting off at 1:30 a.m. the morning of January 27, 2011. During those 7 hours of work he prepared food, he worked on the cash register, he cleaned the lobby and the bathrooms, he mopped the floors in the entire store and performed other responsibilities that employees working the closing shift have to do before they end their shift.

Leon County Sheriff and the State Attorney’s Office have Thomas committing the murders on January 27, 2011 around 4:14 a.m. less than 3 hours after getting off from work. Any parent of a teenage boy who works at a fast-food restaurant knows that the smell (scent) coming from their son is overwhelming. Sometimes even after they shower the smell (scent) is still on them.

At the crime scene both victims were found downstairs in the livingroom. Sterling Jr. was on the floor wrapped in two comforters from head to toe. Under the comforters he was fully dressed, including socks and shoes. Someone wrapped him in those comforters. Herring was found sitting in a chair. She was dressed for bed, including having on a hair cap. Her body was fully exposed. The charger for her cell phone was next to her body on the arm of the chair—it was plugged into the wall. Her cell phone itself was upstairs in her bedroom. According to detective reports, it was found wedged between the wall and the mattress—as if someone was trying to conceal it.

With Ross and detectives putting Thomas in the townhouse doing all of that activity—going up and down the stairs, handling comforters to wrap Sterling Jr.’s body, removing Herring’s cell phone from the charger and taking the cell phone upstairs and concealing it—then surely the State Attorney’s Office is saying that LCSO K9 Unit Deputy Robert Wright and his partner Tag are not reliable—not worth calling to help out at a crime scene. If they’re not saying that then they’re saying that Deputy Robert Wright and his partner Tag need to go back for training—or be replaced altogether.

Think about—taxpayers rely on their local law enforcement agencies to provide reliable services—especially during emergencies. If Deputy Robert Wright and his partner Tag can’t pick up the scent of a Taco Bell employee whom his co-workers (detectives) put at the crime scene—then how reliable is the LCSO K9 Unit to pick up the scent of an abducted child whose kidnapper works at a fish market?

When the State Attorney’s Office does not acknowledge LCSO K9 Unit’s capabilities because they don’t fit into their theory of a 17-year-old committing a double murder—then they publicly “spit” on Tag and the whole LCSO K9 Unit.