Murder hits close to home

@Sloan,

I was trying to quote you Jim but my quote thingy isn't working Evil or Very Mad

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@Finn dAbuzz,

I don't believe this had anything to do with them being gay, thats just my opinion, there have been quite a few robberies in the area lately.

Hopefully the truth will come out.

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@Finn dAbuzz,

The local news is calling it a fire to hide a murder scene.

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@Keith424,

I was just talking to Joel, Mitch's partnet, the house is a total loss. my stomach sinks when I see stuff like this.

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@Keith424,

It may have nothing at all to do with them being gay, but my bet is that the murderer(s) is gay.

Torching a place in an attempt to conceal a murder tends to be a subsequent act of passion.

The odd burglar who kills a homeowners who startles him very rarely sets fire to the home. He simply books.

It says nothing about gays in general, it just fits a pattern.

1 Reply

@Finn dAbuzz,

I don't believe this was random. I can't imagine anyone wanting to hurt Bruce, he was very well liked by everyone. Now the other guy who knows? he wasn't from the area and it was his truck that was stolen and found in Tampa.

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Someone is covering up their tracks. It was reported on this mornings news the truck was found in Tampa and it was also set on fire.

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@MMarciano,

I hope they catch them soon!

Found the truck online.

http://www2.tbo.com/mgmedia/image/0/354/229971/1002-truck-fire/

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@jcboy,

Last night on the local news, they showed the house showing the bright yellow signs with red lettering that said 'Arson: Reward' were very visible.

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@Ragman,

Yep and they are passing out flyers all around the neighborhoods and posting them on facebook.

I have a feeling this was someone one of them knew and not a random break in or how did they know to steal the truck?

http://desmond.imageshack.us/Himg152/scaled.php?server=152&filename=rewardn.jpg&res=landing

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@jcboy,

Off topic.

OMG I could read every single word!! That suprised me, such tiny writing.

I don't know if fire is a compassionate thing to do, rather covering tracks, finger prints I suspect. Who was the other guy exactly? Not to be rude, he looks young and someone who maybe owes money for drugs or something.

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@Ragman,

Checking in, won't post much as my computer is wacky in a way it used to be and I never figured out (the escaping cursor, sort of like a rampant ibex).
So sorry for Bruce, and Arthur.

Be well, all a ya. I'll include the rest of St. Pete's in that.
Regard to their families, it's horrible, and we are thinking of you.

Mitch - Mitch must be decimated, beyond decimated, and his partner. I'd be out of my mind if I were Mitch. So, love to Mitch.

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@FOUND SOUL,

Shirt.

Sorry, I just re-read they were friends, I thought that he was there helping renovating as a hired person, and may have been followed, my sincere apologies.

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The story has a lot more to it, Mitch has been questioned and is cooperating but no other details are being released,

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@Adam4Adam,

Quote:

Nobody knows the other man only that Bruce hired him to help with the tile work in Mitch’s house.

Ok, I sound like a bag of confusion. So, I was right? No one knew who Arthur was? He was just hired..

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@FOUND SOUL,

FOUND SOUL wrote:

Not to be rude, he looks young and someone who maybe owes money for drugs or something.

You never know, there are a lot of drugs in this county.

Bruce was very well known by many in town. Everyone is kind of shocked that someone would want to do him harm, its true nobody knew the other guy. He was a contractor. I wouldn’t be surprised if the investigation is focused on him. The truck that was stolen and burned belonged to him.

No other details have been released. Someone knows something and people always talk.

1 Reply

@jcboy,

Thanks JC, I realised someone didn't like what I said and thought I got it wrong but not Smile

IDK.. I agree with you, torching the truck, getting rid of finger prints, suggests to me anyway they were "looking" for something... Why take the car as a gettaway? You can answer that as you know the street location but wouldn't someone drive to the house.

I guess I am thinking out loud that no-one knew the other guy, so I can't see a motive there otherwise if that makes sense.

Being a little shh for now Smile

Anyways again, too many in one year for you two xx

1 Reply

@FOUND SOUL,

And it’s over. They caught the guy. He was an escaped convict. Must have just broke in and Bruce and the other guy was just at the wrong time and place.

http://www.baynews9.com/content/news/baynews9/news/article.html/content/news/articles/bn9/2012/10/4/arrest_made_in_conne.html

Quote:

ST PETERSBURG --
St. Petersburg police have made an arrest in connection with two bodies found in a house fire earlier this week.

Michael Scott Norris, 36, was charged with two counts of First Degree Murder in the deaths of Bruce Johnson and Arthur Regula.

Norris had been arrested on Tuesday in connection with a burglary at the Driftwood hotel on 34th St. South, where he stole a Glock semi-automatic handgun. Witnesses saw him leave the motel and identified him.

At the time, he was charged with Escape, Armed Burglary and Felon in Possession of a Firearm.

Norris had been assigned to a work release program at Largo Residential Re-Entry Center following eight years in prison for multiple felonies, most of them burglary. He left the Center Sunday morning but never returned. He was listed as an escapee.

Investigators believe after leaving the center, he committed the burglary at the motel. Shortly after that, investigators say the double homicide in the 2600 block of 4th Avenue North occurred.

They say they found evidence at that scene linking Norris to the murders, but he was not initially charged with that crime.

Investigators say Norris was cooperative when arrested in connection with the motel room burglary but did not make any admissions in the homicide. He was booked into the Pinellas County Jail with no bond. Investigators continued to investigate the conneciton between Norris and the murders.

According to investigators, Norris committed a burglary at the house then shot and killed both victims. Norris is believed to have stolen items from the home, then set it on fire and left in one of the victims' Ford F-150 truck.

Investigators don't know why that home was specifically targeted. It is not known at this point in the investigation if Norris was acquainted with either of the victims in the homicide.

The victim's truck was also found set on fire near Columbus and MacDill in Tampa. The stolen property was found inside the truck.

The handgun has stolen during the burglary has been recovered. The results of lab tests on the weapon are still pending.

St. Petersburg Police Homicide investigators are still looking for witnesses who can help them trace Norris' path before and after the murders in Kenwood.

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@jcboy,

Quote:

They caught the guy.

Good, now they need to get a conviction and dispose of him!

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@jcboy,

jcboy wrote:

Quote:
ST PETERSBURG --
Norris had been arrested on Tuesday in connection with a burglary at the Driftwood hotel on 34th St. South, where he stole a Glock semi-automatic handgun. Witnesses saw him leave the motel and identified him.

I do not understand having a handgun in a hotel room.

Florida is weird.

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Murder hits close to home

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