Justice or Revenge

By BARNEY SMITH

A Motor Cycle Gang, in Orlando, is brought to the attention of law enforcement, after a gang member is murdered. The case is assigned to Homicide Detectives; Sergeant Jake Jacoby and his partner, Ed Rollins, of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. The investigation brings suspicion that the biker gang is involved in dealing drugs.
An Organized Crime Family, from Philadelphia, becomes part of the investigation when they are suspected of being involved in Gambling, Loan Sharking and Money Laundering. The investigation takes another turn when it is discovered, a deputy sheriff is a true family member of this Crime Family.
Significant issues are developed, identifying a connection of the two criminal groups. This results in investigators from several different investigative units being brought in to support the Homicide Unit.
As a side note, readers will not be able to solve any murders until the investigators do.

• Language: English
• Publisher: LifeRich Publishing
• Release date: Mar 17, 2021
• ISBN: 9781489734617

BARNEY SMITH

Barney has previous law enforcement experience as a Deputy Sheriff with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in Orlando, Florida. He enjoyed several different assignments, i.e., Patrol Deputy, Patrol Sergeant, Sergeant in charge of the Auto Theft Unit, Sergeant in charge of the Intelligence Unit, and as a Homicide Detective. His most rewarding position was that of a Homicide Detective. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice and a Master’s Degree in Education. His experience and education provide him with the proper foundation for writing mysteries. He has self-published two factual humorous books and a factual murder mystery novel prior to turning to fiction.

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Copyright © 2021 Barney Smith.

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ISBN: 978-1-4897-3460-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4897-3461-7 (e)

LifeRich Publishing rev. date: 03/16/2021

CONTENTS

Dedication

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Epilogue

Addendum

About The Author

References

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to the memory of: Erin Nicole Perez, 01/01/2004 – 04/20/2012, who will be forever loved and greatly missed by all of her family and friends. I would also like to dedicate this book to my friend [Erin’s Dad], Ricardo [Rick] Perez.

Dearest Mommy and Daddy

When you wonder about the meaning of life and love, know that I am with you.

Close your eyes and feel me kissing you in the gentle breeze across your cheek.

When you begin to doubt that you shall never see me again, quiet your mind and hear me.

I am in the whisper of the heavens speaking of your love.

When you lose your identity, when you question who you are, where you are going, open your heart and see me. I am the twinkle in the stars, smiling down upon you, lighting the path for your journey.

When you awaken each morning, not remembering your dreams, but feeling content and serene, know that I was with you, filling your night with thoughts of me.

When you linger in the remnant pain, wholeness seeming so unfamiliar, think of me, know that I am with you, touching you through the shared tears of a gentle friend easing the pain.

As the sunrise illuminates the desert sky, as that breathtaking brilliance awakens your spirit, think of our time together - all too brief but ever brilliant. When you were certain of us together, when you were certain of your destiny, know that God created that moment in time just for us. I am with you always.

Author unknown

CHAPTER 1

An unusual 911 call was received by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office Communication’s Center. The caller stated, There’s a body lying on Palm Lake Drive. I know he’s dead because I’m the one who killed him. The caller then hung up.

The communication’s dispatcher immediately notified the patrol deputy, who was assigned to that area, to respond to the scene and conduct the initial investigation. The street was identified as being in Bithlo, on the East side of Orlando. As a precautionary measure, an ambulance was also requested to respond.

The ambulance was at the scene when the deputy arrived. The Paramedic was attending to an adult male who was lying off to the side of the roadway. The Paramedic told the deputy that he could confirm, without any doubt, the male was deceased. He then drew the deputy’s attention to two small holes in the back of the victim’s head.

After receiving all relevant information, the dispatcher, following protocol, notified the Orange County Medical Examiner [ME], the OCSO Crime Scene Investigators [C.S.I.’s], and the OCSO Homicide Unit.

The call to homicide was received by Tiffany Ashton, the Unit’s Secretary. It was her responsibility to assign the case to the homicide team that was next on the rotation list. This notification was made easy as the team just happened to be in the office, finishing the report on their most recent homicide.

That team consists of me, Detective Sergeant Jake Jacoby, and my partner, Detective Ed Rollins.

After being briefed by Tiffany, Ed and I left the office and headed to the scene. Procedurally, I requested Tiffany to notify our Unit Commander, Lieutenant Morris and inform him of the possible murder.

It was approximately eight-fifteen, and due to the time of day, we knew we would have competition for road space. There would be local residents on their way to work, school buses picking up children and, of course, the vast number of Orlando’s daily tourists. As a result, we could anticipate a drive time of about twenty-five minutes, which would provide us time to plan and prepare ourselves mentally prior to our arrival.

When we arrived at Palm Lake Drive, we were greeted by Deputy, Steve Carson, who brought us up-to-date about the situation.

Deputy Carson stated, Detectives, after conducting my initial investigation, I’ve stood by, protecting the scene, awaiting your arrival. Since the ambulance crew had confirmed that the victim was deceased, there was nothing more they could do, so they departed the scene. I had initiated a Crime Scene Attendance Log before the ambulance crew left, so I obtained their personal contact information. While I’m here at the scene with you, I’ll maintain the log and assist in any way I can.

Deputy Carson then directed us to the victim’s location. He was lying on his stomach, was fully clothed, and of significant importance to all of us, he was wearing the identifiable patches, colors and insignias of a very familiar and local motor cycle gang, the Crusaders. Deputy Carson drew our attention to the back of the victim’s head. It was slightly bloody with two, suspected, bullet holes.

Thank you, Deputy Carson. Unfortunately, the fact that a motorcycle gang member has been, presumably murdered, is certain to create concern among all law enforcement agencies in Central Florida. It isn’t a pleasant thought, but it is a valued concern. We will have to standby and wait for a potential fall-out, from other gang members, as a result of this murder.

"Sergeant, I assume you were advised that we have an anonymous complainant. He admitted to committing the murder and provided the victim’s location, before hanging up. The caller I.D. enabled the phone company to trace the number to a pay phone at a nearby Bar, which is a well-known bike’s hangout.

It’s the Last Stand and it happens to be the club house for the Crusaders Motorcycle Gang. I felt it was odd that the phone call about the victim would come from that specific location. Was it to draw us there or was someone simply trying to send us a message? All of our deputies continually have problems with that bar, and believe me, we are very familiar with this group because it consists of some of society’s most undesirable citizens. It’s uncertain why the Crusaders’ members refer to themselves as a club while everyone knows they are a gang. Yeah, they definitely belong to a club alright. A club where almost every member has a criminal record, which any true criminal would be proud to claim. The gang has a long-standing reputation of being involved in numerous illegal activities in the Central Florida area. They are also well-known to our Gang Unit, which is responsible for monitoring the gang’s criminal activities."

Thanks, Deputy Carson, you have done a good job and we appreciate the information. All we can do now is put everything on hold until the ME and our CSI’s, arrive. After the CSIs take their photos and the ME conducts his preliminary examination, we will be able to turn the victim’s body over for further examination.

We had to pause as two of our department’s CSIs arrived, and to our good fortune, they happened to be our department’s two senior, and most qualified, CSIs, Sergeant Chris Simmons and Deputy Julie Parks.

After all greetings were exchanged, Chris and Julie began taking photographs of the body while Ed and I conducted a search of the immediate and surrounding area for any possible evidence.

Approximately twenty feet from the victim’s body, into the underbrush, we noticed that several of the palmetto bushes, were pushed down slightly. A closer examination disclosed a motorcycle lying on its side. It is what the typical motorcycle gang member rides, a Harley Davidson Hog, over 1,200 cc, which is the required mode of transportation for the more serious - but not sophisticated - motorcycle gang members. It was not damaged as far as we could tell.

Ed advised Chris and Julie that we had located the victim’s motorcycle. He asked them to join us once they had finished taking photographs of the body. Ed noticed that the ignition key had been left in the ignition and was in the off position.

It was apparent that it was moved from the victim’s location in an attempt to avoid its discovery. Ed and I questioned why someone would hide the motorcycle but not hide the body?

Right or wrong, we questioned why the victim was riding solo. He had to be because most bikers are very loyal to one another, and if he was with a comrade, he would not have been left alone. We also have a safe presumption that our anonymous complainant, was not a member of the Crusaders.

When Chris and Julie finished taking their photographs, they joined us. I asked if they could process the motorcycle after photographing it because Ed and I were curious about what may be in the victim’s saddlebags. Actually, nosey would probably be a better choice of words.

I had to ask Chris, Could we check inside the saddle bags? It’s possible that we might find some items or information that would give us a lead into what may have led to this murder.

Sarge, we have to hold off processing the cycle, to include searching inside the saddlebags, until we get it back to our indoor impound area. That would lessen the probability of any contamination.

OK, I can accept your reasoning, but can you tell me why you and Julie brought your small trailer? You only use it for transporting motorcycles and other large items that will not fit into your van. I’m just curious as to how you knew you would need the trailer?

Chris paused, kind of smiled before answering. "When Tiffany had called our office, right after she had talked to you, she advised me about the victim being a motorcycle gang member.

Well, it didn’t take Sherlock Holmes to figure out what his mode of transportation would be. I must admit, we didn’t know for sure if he had been dumped here or if his motorcycle would be at the scene. We decided to err on the side of caution and bring the trailer.

Since we have it with us, we can transport the motorcycle to our impound area. In this instance, it’s better for us to transport the motorcycle versus having to use a wrecker service. This allows us to maintain a proper chain of custody."

I felt the motorcycle could possibly provide something to assist us in our ensuing investigation. We found it very curious that our suspect hid the motorcycle, but he told us where he left the body. It isn’t in plain sight, but it wasn’t hard to find. Naturally, we weren’t curious about the need for the caller wanting to remain anonymous, especially since he admitted to - or took credit for - committing the murder.

It is well documented by our department’s Gang Unit that their experience of obtaining information from outlaw bikers is quite similar to having a loving conversation with your mother-in-law, no offense intended. However, when we start interviewing the patrons at the Last Stand, we may be delivering news they may not be aware of.

Deputy Carson drew us back to our initial conversation by pointing out that there were only four houses on Palm Lake Drive. The houses were set further down the road, away from the intersection of East Colonial Drive. It was entirely possible that no one was able to hear or see anything last night.

We had to pause as our ME, Dr. Lampert, arrived. As soon as he had joined us, I let him know how nice it was for him to finally find the scene. I asked, Hey doc, what’s wrong with your GPS? Is it not functioning?

No. I was just starting on an autopsy when I got the news of this death. He smiled before adding, You know, I can’t sit around in the office waiting for someone to die just because most homicide detectives do.

Just like my earlier conversation with Chris, I was caught again without an appropriate and quick come-back, so I thought it best not to respond. I can only hope that my investigative abilities don’t suffer because of my inability to respond quickly to someone else’s sarcastic remarks.

Fortunately, it was Dr. Lampert who asked the next question. "Has the body been moved?

In unison, we all tried to reassure him that the victim was in the same position he had been found in.

Chris let Dr. Lampert know that all necessary photographs have been taken prior to his arrival, so he could begin the preliminary examination immediately.

Without touching the body, Dr. Lampert said, Take a look at these two wounds in the back of the head. There’s not much blood loss around the wounds so I must assume they are the entry wounds, if in fact they were caused by gunshots. One wound is slightly above the left ear and the other is almost dead center of the head. There are slight powder burns on his neck, his hair is slightly singed giving a clear indication the shots were fired from a very close range, probably less than four feet. There doesn’t appear to be any additional trauma to the back portion of the body, but before we turn the body over, I need to check his back pockets for identification.

In the victim’s right rear pocket, Dr. Lampert found a wallet and some insignificant items in the other rear pocket. He handed the wallet to Julie to check for identification and to maintain the chain of custody.

Julie located a driver’s license in the wallet, which identified the victim as Stanley Davis, with his address of 1184 Rouse Road, Union Park, Florida. Mr. Davis’ license indicated he was twenty-six years old. Some money was also found in the wallet indicating it wasn’t a robbery.

OK, Dr. Lampert said. Let’s carefully turn the body over.

Once the victim had been positioned on his back, Dr. Lampert paused momentarily to allow the CSIs to take the necessary photos before continuing with his examination.

Dr. Lampert continued. "I would estimate the wounds were caused by a large caliber projectile, which is indicated by the vast amount of damage to the face. Due to the facial damage, whoever did this was serious and wanted to leave no doubt as to the predictable outcome.

There doesn’t appear to be any further trauma to the victim. Without further processing, I would put the time of death at a little past midnight. As you know, I will have more accurate information following the autopsy. Incidentally, due to the condition of his face, I prefer to attempt a positive identification of this victim from a friend and not a family member. We can use his fingerprints and dental records as our means of supportive identification."

I told Dr. Lampert, While you’re performing the autopsy, we’ll record his fingerprints and send a complete set to the FBI. They will run them through their Automated Fingerprint Identification System. If he has been fingerprinted, his identification would be conclusive. If that proves unsuccessful, we will look for dental records before asking close friends or family members to identify any scars, marks, or tattoos.

Dr. Lampert had responded to the scene alone, so when his examination was completed, Deputy Carson and Ed helped him put the victim on a gurney and place him in the ME’s station wagon for transport to the Morgue.

Dr. Lampert looked at me, with a tired look, saying, Jake, I’ve been extremely busy. I already have two murder victims brought in by the Orlando Police Department., consequently, your victim’s autopsy will have to wait. If I can conduct two autopsies tomorrow, we could possibly perform your victim’s Autopsy on Thursday. I’ll know better tomorrow, so unless I notify you to make a change, we will plan on Thursday. Jake, you and Ed will both be in attendance, right?

Yes Doc, you know that’s the way we like to start our day, I replied, trying not to be too humorous."

Of course. Ed had to say, I wouldn’t miss it for the world, while rolling his eyes.

Oh, by the way, Dr. Lampert added. It’s apparent that my services are no longer required here so I’ll go back to my office and rejoin true humanity, but before I go, I need to remind you two that you don’t need to bring the coffee any longer because I now have a brand-new pot. I do realize, however, since you guys are cops, I know you will be able to find some donuts.

After Doc left, Chris, Julie, Ed and I turned our attention back to the victim’s motorcycle. Again, Ed brought to everyone’s attention, about the ignition being in the off position.

Ed, I don’t see the significance of that, Julie remarked.

Well, if the victim had turned off the ignition, he apparently knew the person who shot him and maybe they were just meeting. If the victim did not know the suspect and was surprised when he was shot, then maybe the suspect was the one who turned the key off before or after moving the cycle. It might seem minute, but maybe we can obtain a fingerprint from the key since none of us have touched it.

It’s a thought Ed, I said, But as we all know, bikers normally wear gloves, just like our victim.

Julie, do you have any thoughts at this point that you would like to discuss?

"Yes, but first, Ed’s comment might have some validity, therefore, Chris and I will leave the key in the ignition. Later, we can determine if we can do anything with it. At least we can rule out robbery as a motive since the victim’s wallet contained money and both saddle bags and license plate were left on the motorcycle. We have no doubt you guys will be able to determine the reason for the killing. Sarge, you asked me if there are any thoughts I would like to discuss. Actually, I believe it’s you who has