FL - Joseph Wayne Witherington, 21, found dead in orange grove, Alturas, 28 MAR 2019 *Arrest*

[SeesSeas]

https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/crime/his-body-was-found-in-an-orange-grove-now-investigators-want-your-help-finding-his-killer/67-a998cbcd-7d86-4fdd-ad80-635465e6a8bf
His body was found in an orange grove. Now, investigators want your help finding his killer.
Sheriff Grady Judd is hoping an anonymous tip might crack the case.
Published: 5:30 PM EDT March 28, 2019 | Updated: 5:30 PM EDT March 28, 2019
ALTURAS, Fla. — Polk County deputies say a man's body was found in an orange grove, and they need your help finding the murder suspect or suspects.
Deputies say the body of Joseph Wayne Witherington, 21, of Lakeland was found around 7:45 a.m. Thursday by caretakers of the orange grove on Mud Lake Road near 80 Foot Road.

PCSO: Lakeland man killed, left in orange grove
The Sheriff’s Office is saying that preliminary investigation reveals that Witherington was violently killed and left in the grove by an unknown suspect or suspects.

Murder victim's body found in Polk Co. orange grove, detectives investigating
The sheriff's office is urging anyone with information to reach out to Crime Stoppers.
"If anyone has information about the violent death of this young man, you can and will remain anonymous AND be eligible for a CASH reward by contacting Heartland Crime Stoppers at 1-800-226-TIPS (8477), or submit a tip through their website or mobile app," Sheriff Judd said.

Body Found In Polk Orange Grove Investigated as Murder
"Someone knows what happened to Joseph and how he ended up in that orange grove, and one way or another we will identify and arrest whoever is responsible," Sheriff Grady Judd said.

 

[SeesSeas]

Polk County Sheriff's Office

Polk County Sheriff's Office looking for information with Heartland Crime Stoppers Florida.
Paid Partnership
We need your help in a Homicide investigation. The PCSO Homicide Unit is investigating the murder of 21-year-old Joseph Wayne Witherington of Lakeland.

Witherington’s body was found in an orange grove off of Mud Lake Road (cross street 80 Foot Road) in Alturas, around 7:45 a.m. on Thursday, March 28, 2019, by grove caretakers who were in the area.

Preliminary investigation reveals that Witherington was killed and left in the grove by an unknown suspect or suspects.

“If anyone has information about the violent death of this young man, you can and will remain anonymous AND be eligible for a CASH reward by contacting Heartland Crime Stoppers at 1-800-226-TIPS (8477), or submit a tip through their website or mobile app. Someone knows what happened to Joseph and how he ended up in that orange grove, and one way or another we will identify and arrest whoever is responsible. You might as well make some money - call Crime Stoppers.” - Grady Judd, Sheriff

Please visit www.heartlandcrimestoppers.com.

 

[moonriverfarm]

Horrible

 

[SeesSeas]

Friends of murdered Lakeland man mourn, seek justice
March 29, 2019
LAKELAND — The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is not releasing any information surrounding the investigation on the murder of a 21-year-old Lakeland man found early Thursday morning in a remote southeast Polk County orange grove.

While rumors swirl on Facebook as to whether his death is a hate crime, what is known is that Joseph Wayne Witherington was open about his lifestyle as a drag queen and his desire to one day be a paid entertainer, according to his close friend, Quantrell Davis.

“He was very open about doing drag, he wanted to do it for a living,” Davis said. “He would perform at Lakeland Pulse and the Lakeland Pub, and he would go to a couple of other venues and not perform.”
[...]
A friend has set up a Facebook page in hope it will both allow friends to celebrate his life as well as lead to details that will help solve his murder.

Chauntell Charity Perez is in charge of the “Justice for Joey” @Justiceforjoeylohan page.
[...]

 

[realanastasia]

Can’t explain why, but as soon as I saw the headlines about a young man murdered and left in an orange grove, the killing of Matthew Shepard came to mind. In spite of the truly horrendous “journalism” in that Ledger article linked above (another flashback to the ‘90s when the media all-too-often suggested that attacks on/murders of folks who were, or were just perceived to be, members of the LGBTQIA+ community were due to the victims’ “lifestyle”), his friends’ quotes (and law enforcement’s uncommonly explicit acknowledgment that Witherington experienced a “violent death”) make me strongly suspect that this murder will turn out to have something to do with the victim’s (real or perceived) sexual orientation and/or gender identity. If perps are caught, I won’t be surprised to hear a “gay panic” defense (or, I guess, a “trans panic” defense if Witherington was in drag when the murder occurred) . Gay panic defense - Wikipedia
The murder is tragic, though, regardless of what motivated the monsters who committed it.

IMO/MOO

 

[Wow]

Florida woman charged with murder of man found in orange groves

 

[rosesfromangels]

Florida woman charged with murder of man found in orange groves

I didn't see that coming!

 

[realanastasia]

Whoa, totally unexpected--but I am so relieved that the family and friends of Witherington will see justice served.

 

[SeesSeas]

Florida woman charged with murder of man found in orange groves

Florida woman charged with murder of man found in orange groves
LAKELAND, Fla. - A woman has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man who was found in a car between orange groves.
The Polk County Sheriff's Office said Heather Tyler, 28, shot Joseph Witherington, 21, twice in his head.
[...]
Tyler is charged with first-degree murder, tampering with evidence and grand theft of a firearm. She is being held without bond.

PCSO: Woman arrested in murder of Lakeland man
“Clearly, the evidence, witnesses, and her admissions confirm that she committed cold-blooded, first-degree murder,” said Judd, in a media release issued Saturday.
Judd told The Ledger that after shooting Witherington in the back of the head, Tyler got out of the car, and shot him again.

Lakeland woman arrested, accused of fatally shooting man in head at orange grove, Polk deputies say
Deputies said Tyler burned the clothes she was wearing during the shooting, which she told authorities had blood on them, the release states. She did not give authorities a motive for the shooting, according to deputies.

Woman accused of killing man in Polk Co. orange grove charged with murder
Investigators said she left some flip-flops behind, which she later admitted to owning, and burned her clothes that had Witherington's blood on them.

"Regardless of Heather's many reasons and excuses, we know that she executed Joseph Witherington by shooting him in the back of the head while he was driving down a dirt road between orange groves -- and that is first degree murder and we have charged her accordingly," Sheriff Grady Judd said in a news release. "Clearly the evidence, witnesses, and her admissions confirm that she committed cold blooded first degree murder.

 

[SeesSeas]

View JOSEPH WITHERINGTON's Obituary and express your condolences
JOSEPH 'JOEY' WAYNE WITHERINGTON, 21
LAKELAND - Joseph 'Joey' Wayne Witherington, 21, of Lakeland, FL died March 28, 2019. Born January 15, 1998 in Lakeland, FL he was a lifelong resident of the area.
[...]
A Celebration of life will be held at 5:00pm, Saturday, April 6, 2019 at Oak Ridge Funeral Care in Winter Haven.

 

[rosesfromangels]

View JOSEPH WITHERINGTON's Obituary and express your condolences
JOSEPH 'JOEY' WAYNE WITHERINGTON, 21
LAKELAND - Joseph 'Joey' Wayne Witherington, 21, of Lakeland, FL died March 28, 2019. Born January 15, 1998 in Lakeland, FL he was a lifelong resident of the area.
[...]
A Celebration of life will be held at 5:00pm, Saturday, April 6, 2019 at Oak Ridge Funeral Care in Winter Haven.

My gosh...what the...?!
I'm eager to hear a motive, if there is one.
21 years old. I was just figuring out which way was up at 21.
So very sad. So young, and so much ahead. : (

 

[SeesSeas]

Heather Montana Tyler of Lakeland indicted in orange grove slaying of Joseph Wayne Witherington
Posted Apr 11, 2019 at 5:57 PM
Updated Apr 12, 2019 at 1:56 PM
A Polk County grand jury indicted 28-year-old Heather Montana Tyler for first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of Joseph Wayne Witherington at a remote orange grove in Alturas.
[...]
In a statement to detectives, Tyler acknowledged she had been with Witherington, a locally known drag queen, the night before his body was found as they drove around seeking to purchase Xanax. She said she was riding in the passenger seat in the rural Alturas area when Witherington began speeding and driving erratically along the dirt roads.

“Heather Tyler said (Witherington) was acting out of control, so she pointed a 9mm semi-automatic handgun that she already had in her jacket pocket at (Witherington’s) head and fired one round,” according to her arrest affidavit.

The car swerved into an orange grove and struck some trees, the affidavit states. Tyler got out of the car, walked around to the driver’s side and fired another shot at Witherington’s head, the report states.
[...]

 

[SeesSeas]

PublicCaptcha
Polk Records Online
Case : 2019CF002821A000XX
Case Style : STATE OF FLORIDA vs. TYLER HEATHER MONTANA
FIRST DEGREE MURDER
TAMPER/FABRICATE W PHYSICAL EVIDENCE
Court Date Court Time Location Motion Section Judge
10/04/2019 8:30 AM BARTOW COURTHOUSE STHR - STATUS HEARING F9 JALAL HARB
08/30/2019 9:00 AM BARTOW COURTHOUSE BOND - BOND HEARING F9 JALAL HARB

Case : 2019CF002820A000XX
Case Style : STATE OF FLORIDA vs. TYLER HEATHER MONTANA
GRAND THEFT OF FIREARM
Court Date Court Time Location Motion Section Judge
09/04/2019 8:30 AM BARTOW COURTHOUSE PRET - PRE-TRIAL CONFERENCE F5 LARRY HELMS

 

[SeesSeas]

PublicCaptcha
Polk Records Online
Case : 2019CF002821A000XX
Case Style : STATE OF FLORIDA vs. TYLER HEATHER MONTANA
FIRST DEGREE MURDER
TAMPER/FABRICATE W PHYSICAL EVIDENCE
Court Date Court Time Location Motion Section Judge
11/13/2019 8:30 AM BARTOW COURTHOUSE STHR - STATUS HEARING F9 JALAL HARB

Case : 2019CF002820A000XX
Case Style : STATE OF FLORIDA vs. TYLER HEATHER MONTANA
GRAND THEFT OF FIREARM
Court Date Court Time Location Motion Section Judge
10/16/2019 8:30 AM BARTOW 4 A RED ELEVATOR PRET - PRE-TRIAL CONFERENCE F5 LARRY HELMS

 

[SeesSeas]

Was Alturas killing premeditated? Lakeland woman's lawyers say no
Posted Sep 2, 2019 at 1:46 PM
Updated Sep 3, 2019 at 9:13 AM
BARTOW — Murder defendant Heather Montana Tyler, who admitted to fatally shooting her friend and leaving his body in an Alturas orange grove in March, shouldn’t be charged with first-degree murder, her lawyer said in a court hearing.

Assistant Public Defender Julia Williamson suggested Friday that Tyler’s actions in the death of 21-year-old Joseph Wayne Witherington didn’t rise to the level of premeditated murder.
[...]

 

[SeesSeas]

Murder defendant Heather Tyler listens as a prosecutor accuses her of premeditated murder
Sep 2, 2019
The Ledger
Heather Tyler, 28, of Lakeland, sobs in court as Assistant State Attorney Jaenea Gorman argues the strength of the state’s evidence for premeditated murder, saying Tyler shouldn’t be released from the Polk County Jail on bond pending her trial. She’s accused of killing Joseph Witherington, 21, of Lakeland, in March.

 

[SeesSeas]

PublicCaptcha
Polk Records Online
Case : 2019CF002820A000XX
Case : 2019CF002821A000XX
Case Style : STATE OF FLORIDA vs. TYLER HEATHER MONTANA

Court Date Court Time Location Motion Section Judge
03/02/2020 8:30 AM BARTOW COURTHOUSE JSEL - JURY SELECTION F9 JALAL HARB
01/24/2020 1:00 PM BARTOW COURTHOUSE HSUP - HEARING ON MOTION TO SUPPRESS F9 JALAL HARB