In the early morning hours of Saturday, July 29th, the Davenport Police Department responded to a call in the area of Fuller Street West in Davenport. Officers responded to the neighborhood to find a woman unresponsive in a vehicle. The Davenport Fire Department also responded to the scene and subsequently transported the victim to Advent Health-Heart of Florida Hospital. The victim was declared deceased by medical staff on Saturday, July 29, 2023 at 0422 hours. Based upon her injuries, she is believed to be the victim of a homicide.
Polk County Sheriff’s Office homicide detectives assisted the Davenport Police Department by conducting the homicide investigation.
Polk County deputies advised the victim is a 35 year old Davenport woman. A reward was offered for information leading to an arrest. That arrest came this week due to a tip on the location of homicide suspect Demond Lavette Moore, 49. The tip was relayed to the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office as the suspect was reportedly hiding out in a Kissimmee shed. Deputies we’re able to apprehend Moore and he has been transported back to Polk County to face trial.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office would like to acknowledge the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office and the anonymous tipster who helped bring about Moore’s arrest.
In 1988 an Alturas woman named Peggy Care was poisoned along with her family. The poisoning would eventually take her life, fortunately she was the only fatality by a sick, twisted & very smart killer named George Trepal. Through outstanding under cover work and coordination between the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Trepal was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of Peggy Carr.
The Murder Of Peggy Carr
George Trepal and his wife moved into their home in Alturas, Florida during the early 1980s. Parealyn and Peggy Carr married in 1988, and Peggy Carr moved into the Parealyn’s home, which was located next to Trepal’s home. Travis Carr, Parealyn’s son, and Duane Dubberly, Peggy’s son, also resided at the Alturas residence. In 1988, Parealyn Carr renovated their garage into an apartment, where his daughters, Delena Shiver and Tammy Reed, and his granddaughter, Kasey Bell, resided. Trepal and the Carrs were involved in a number of altercations, including one incident in which Trepal threatened to kill one of the Carr children. The Carrs also received an unsigned letter threatening harm to their family if they did not leave Florida.
In October of 1988, Peggy Carr began to suffer from a mysterious illness. She was admitted to the hospital and remained there for several days before being discharged. After discharge, Peggy’s condition worsened, and she was readmitted to the hospital. Travis Carr and Duane Dubberly also exhibited similar symptoms and were transported to the hospital.
Dr. Hostler suspected thallium poisoning based on the symptoms displayed. Within one day, thallium poisoning was confirmed. Peggy Carr’s condition worsened, and she fell into a coma. She died when life support was disconnected in March of 1989. Travis Carr and Duane Dubberly remained in the hospital for treatment of thallium poisoning. Further testing revealed the presence of thallium in other family members, including Gelena Shiver, Kasey Bell and Parealyn Carr.
In November of 1989, officials collected samples from the Carr household in an attempt to determine the origin of the thallium. Tiller tested the residue in several empty Coca-Cola bottles retrieved during the collection of samples. Thallium was detected in the Coca-Cola bottles. The lot numbers of the cola bottles allowed police to trace when and where the bottles were produced. Officials determined that it was impossible for eight bottles containing thallium to end up being packaged together. Coca-Cola officials claimed that they had not received any other reports of poisoning or threats related to tampering with their product.
In June of 1988, the Carrs received a letter threatening that they would all die if they did not leave Florida immediately. The letter was unsigned. The prosecution linked Trepal to the threatening letter that the Carrs had received because of comments he made during a police interview. When officials inquired into why Trepal thought someone would poison the Carrs, he told them to get them to move out.
Trepal claimed to accompany his wife to the office every day. However, the police determined that he either stayed at home or went to his own office each day. Thus, Trepal had the opportunity to enter the Carrs’ residence because they did not always lock their doors upon leaving the residence. Also, Trepal had worked as a chemist in an amphetamine laboratory. Thallium was a by-product of amphetamine production. In 1975, Trepal was convicted of Conspiracy to Manufacture Methamphetamine.
In order to further investigate Trepal, Special Agent Susan Goreck went undercover. She attended a “Mensa Murder Weekend” that Trepal’s wife organized under the name of Sherry Guinn. Trepal wrote a pamphlet for the weekend that described writing a threatening note and then poisoning the recipient of the note. During this weekend, Goreck had contact with Trepal and learned that he was selling his Alturas residence and was moving to Sebring, Florida or to Virginia. Goreck arranged to rent Trepal’s home after he and his wife moved. After paying the rent in money orders, Goreck and a search team went to the home. In the garage, the investigators found a bottle containing powdered thallium. After the discovery of thallium, Trepal was charged with seven counts of poisoning. A subsequent search of Trepal’s Sebring home in April of 1989 turned up chemistry books and equipment, including information about poisons. Officials also found the Agatha Christie novel Pale Horse, which described using thallium to poison people in a household. Finally, the police found a bottle-capping machine that could be used to replace the bottle caps of Coca-Cola bottles after the cap was removed to introduce the poison into the drink.
Trial Summary:
04/05/90 Trepal was indicted on the following counts:
On October 20, 2023, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office responded to the Knights Inn Motel located at 4651 W. Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway, Kissimmee, in reference to reports of a shooting. Upon deputies’ arrival, a victim was located with life-threatening injuries. The victim was immediately transported to the hospital. Witnesses on the scene informed deputies the suspect fled in a grey truck. Investigation revealed that the suspect and victim were family members, and the incident began as a domestic altercation in the parking lot of a local Kissimmee restaurant.
The suspect and victim left the restaurant in the grey truck and, ultimately, were involved in a traffic crash near the intersection of W. Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway and Bass Road. The suspect fled from the traffic crash in the grey truck and traveled to the Knights Inn Motel, where the domestic altercation escalated, and the suspect attacked the victim. Deputies later located the suspect in the grey truck, and the suspect was taken into custody without further incident. The suspect was identified as Alberto Jose Gonzalez-Velazquez (DOB: 11/21/1988) and was later booked in the Polk County Jail for Attempted Murder and Aggravated Battery with a Deadly Weapon.
On of October 22, 2023, the victim in the case was pronounced deceased. The Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the manner of death as a Homicide. As a result, Alberto Jose Gonzalez-Velazquez has been charged with Premeditated First-Degree Murder.
More than 60 units including floats, decorated vehicles, marching bands, and dance troupes marched through Downtown Bartow for the annual Bartow Halloween Parade.
Several local businesses and organizations participated in the parade, including the Bartow City Staff and Chamber of Commerce, several local schools like Summerlin Academy, and even fire, rescue, and law enforcement agencies. Even the honorable Sheriff Grady Judd himself attended with his fellow officers from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
The parade started at First Avenue on the east side of town, traveled west along Main Street through the downtown area, and headed south along Broadway Avenue to Mosaic Park.
Awaiting participants and attendees of the parade at the Bartow Civic Center was the second portion of the event, which was the Annual Halloween Carnival. Several dozen vendors offered arts, crafts, and carnival-style games for attendees to enjoy, and food trucks served food and refreshments. Attendees could also participate in a bingo game, cake walk, and costume contest.
Both the parade and the carnival drew nearly a thousand visitors to Downtown Bartow and Mosaic Park. Jennifer Hall, the event coordinator, even mentioned seeing several people setting up their seats earlier that morning to watch the parade that afternoon.
“We [had] wonderful weather [that day], so I [had] great expectations,” she said. “I was driving through downtown earlier this morning, and there was already a bunch of chairs already set up and spaces. So, it is very exciting that a lot of people are excited for the parade.”
For more than 75 years, the annual Halloween parade and carnival have been a traditional holiday staple for Bartow. The event had been organized by the Crickette Club. However, these events were canceled during the COVID-19 pandemic, and once the pandemic ended, not enough members from the Crickette Club were available to host the event.
“Crickette Club did not have the membership,” Hall said. “It takes about 70 or 80 people to pull this off. We got together with the service clubs…We all came together and divided the events and were able to pull off a great carnival last year and this year.”
Hall loves how this annual Halloween tradition draws people together, both from within and outside the city. So, it only made sense for people to come together and host it.
“What I would say it is about the community coming together,” Hall said. “It is a family-friendly fun event, a way to come together and have a good time.”
More than 500 people—563 to be exact!—are reported to be homeless in Polk County, according to estimates by the Homeless Coalition of Polk County, as reported by The Ledger.
As Polk County’s largest provider of services to the homeless, Talbot House Ministries Lakeland works tirelessly to help these people through its services. Each month, they shelter 161 people, serve 21,297 meals, and facilitate 377 clinic visits, their website states.
The efforts of this non-profit organization could not be possible without the generous proceeds of its donors and the hard work of its volunteers. Talbot House Ministries Lakeland raised proceeds for its services through its annual fundraiser banquet on Thursday evening.
Approximately 400 people attended the fundraiser to enjoy a great dinner and place bids on silent and live auctions for prizes donated by local businesses and organizations. Even Sheriff Grady Judd and his officers attended the grand event that evening.
For the past 20 years, the banquet has served as a fundraiser to raise money for Talbot House Ministries. Proceeds from the event go toward financing its many services, which include food, shelter, employment programs, affordable housing, and even a free medical clinic.
These proceeds will also help build and start two new programs. One program will be a homeless diversion program. The other will be an outreach to homeless encampments across Polk County.
The biggest challenges in offering these programs, both old and new, are limited funding and power, explained Erin Martinez, Director of Development at Talbot House Ministries. Moreover, they rely on the hard work of volunteers to accomplish their mission. As such, any assistance and donations they receive from events such as this fundraiser are greatly appreciated, she said.
“This event is successful because of the support of our community,” Martinez said. “Our donors and sponsoring organizations are faithful every year to ensure that this event is all that it can be. We are very grateful for that.”
To learn more about Talbot Ministries Lakeland, visit their website at: https://talbothouse.org/
Located off of North Broadway in downtown Bartow, the old jail was built in the 1960s, renovated in the 1970s, and closed in the 2000s. Since then, the old building has fallen into disrepair. The concrete walls and metal bars remain. The lights often flicker and the plumbing often acts and sounds eerie.
Such a dark and creepy location seems ideal for a haunted house. In fact, the old jail has even allegedly taken up some haunted residents. One such ghostly guest is named Calvin, who allegedly is the ghost of an inmate who died there decades ago. Even the police officers who work there have claimed to have heard and seen him.
“I have been up there by myself, especially at night,” explained Lt. Justin Carr. “You hear weird noises. You see things. There was always something out of the corner of your eye or something. You would see something down the hall and nothing was there. A lot of things you could not explain were happening there. That contributed to it. Certain people would not go upstairs, who would not go up into the old jail because of that, so a lot of us believe it is a real thing.”
With such a creepy legacy, the old jail has served as the location of the Polk County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) annual Haunted Jail Tour. This year, the haunted house is making an epic comeback, even after the old building was expected to be demolished.
This year’s theme, fittingly enough, is “Resurrection” to celebrate the Haunted Jail Tour returning even with the facility expected to close down and be torn down. Many return haunts will be making their return, including clowns and classic horror monsters. And, who knows, perhaps even Calvin himself will make an appearance.
Lt. Justin Carr has worked for 16 years at the PSCO. He started helping with the tour during its start in 2014. Back then, it was an interagency tour and history tour of the old jail. With its surprise surge in popularity two years later, the tour was converted into a proper haunted house, and it has remained a popular installment ever since.
“Last year, it made $50 thousand due to massive turnout,” he said. “This year, we are hoping to have something similar happen, and we keep the prices affordable.”
The Haunted Jail Tour will be hosted this Fri. Oct. 20 and Sat. Oct. 21, and next Fri. Oct. 27 and Sat. Oct. 28 from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. The tour is located at the old jail at 455 N Broadway Ave. in Bartow. Free parking is available at the parking garage and the parking lot behind the building near Sonny’s BBQ.
For more information, visit: https://www.polksheriff.org/news-investigations/2023/08/24/2023-haunted-jail-tour-scheduled-for-two-weekends-in-october
Welcome, World Travelers! Check Out These 5 Underrated Scary Movies for Halloween
by James Coulter
Welcome World Travelers
Halloween is around the corner. It’s the ideal time to watch scary movies, whether you prefer classic horror flicks like Frankenstein or Dracula, slasher flicks like Nightmare on Elm Street or Friday the 13th, or captured footage films like Paranormal Activity or The Blair Witch Project.
However, as much as we love the same-old Halloween favorites, sometimes you want to watch something with new frights. And what better way to do so than uncovering some underrated scary movies from the past? Here are a few underrated cult classics I highly recommend watching this Halloween:
#1: House (1977)
Toho Studios | Not Rated (contains Blood, Gore, and Frightening & Intense Scenes)
Image source: IMDB/Movie screenshot
Where to Watch: HBO Max (Streaming), Amazon Prime (Streaming), Hulu (Streaming), Sling TV (Streaming), Vudu (Rent), Apple TV (Rent)
A young teenage girl and her friends visit her estranged aunt for summer vacation. However, upon their arrival, strange things start occurring with each of them disappearing one by one. The young girl is now forced to uncover the mystery of the old house and discover why her estranged aunt was estranged to begin with. Can she and her friends survive their stay at the haunted house, all while avoiding ghost cats, man-eating pianos, and other bloody horrors?
Produced by Toho Studios of Godzilla fame, and directed by a director who previously worked on television commercials, this Japanese cult classic shifts tones between being a whimsical teen comedy and a chilling horror movie. The jarring tonal shifts create an overall haunting, blood-chilling experience with vivid visuals and splendid special effects. Each of the girls meets a bloody, gory, and creatively fitting demise that is sure to remain lingering in the deep recesses of your subconscious.
#2: The Company of Wolves (1984)
The Cannon Group | R (for Sex & Nudity, Blood & Gore, and Frightening & Intense Scenes)
Where to Watch: YouTube (Streaming), Amazon Prime (Streaming), AMC Plus (Streaming), fuboTV (Streaming), Roku Channel (Streaming)
A young girl on the cusp of adolescence falls into a fever-induced dream where she imagines herself as Red Riding Hood. Despite her deep woodland village being ransacked by wolf attacks, one of which took the life of her older sister, she nevertheless ventures into the woods to visit her grandmother. Played by the late Angela Lansbury, her granny delights her with old folk stories about wolves, through which the young girl not only learns about the strange goings-on, but also her own budding womanhood.
This movie is best described as Labyrinth meets Twilight. Framed as a story taking place within a young girl’s dream, the movie exudes an overall surreal dream-like feel, where things don’t always appear as they seem, and where events play fast and loose with the timeline of the classic setting. With equal parts blood and gore, and equal parts romance and sexual tension, this story serves as a vivid exploration of a young girl’s subconscious as she develops her own sexual awakening as a young woman. Fans of werewolves and supernatural romance are encouraged to give this film a watch.
#3: Viy (1967)
Artistic Association | Not Rated (contains Frightening & Intense Scenes)
Where to Watch: Tubi (Streaming), Amazon Prime (Streaming), Roku Channel (Streaming), Google Play (Rent)
Based on a classic Russian folktale, this Russian movie tells the story of a seminary student who ends up killing a witch who tried to kidnap and torment him. He is promptly summoned by a wealthy gentleman who wants him to conduct the last rites over his late daughter. Plot twist: she turns out to be the witch! Now the young man must survive three nights in an old church praying over her body, which comes to life every night to enact her revenge on him.
At little over an hour long, this short film is quite short compared to other horror movies. However, what little run time it has is packed with plenty of scary and spooky moments withspecial effects that are quite impressive for the 1960s Soviet Union. Each night the dead witch torments the young priest in new and blood-chilling ways, with him narrowly avoiding his demise thanks to his protective circle. The third and final night serves as the epic finale with horrors so horrific, that it’s best described as a living nightmare come to life.
#4: Return to Oz (1985)
Walt Disney Pictures | PG (for Frightening & Intense Scenes)
Where to Watch: Disney Plus (Streaming), Amazon Prime, (Rent) Apple TV (Rent), Vudu (Rent)
Do you fondly remember the classic 1939 Wizard of Oz? Well, this movie is absolutely nothing like it!
Set shortly after the events of the original movie, Dorothy is sent to a sanitarium for her “delusions” about Oz. She narrowly escapes receiving shock treatment and is swept away by a thunderstorm back to Oz. However, the land is nothing as she remembers from her first visit. The Yellow Brick Road has turned to rubble, the Emerald City is in ruins, and her old friends have gone missing. She must make new friends and avoid new enemies to uncover the mystery behind what happened to the once-enchanted land of Oz.
Again, this movie is nothing like the colorful, whimsical 1939 musical. While technically not a horror movie, Return to Oz is a dark, twisted take on the Oz stories (as adapted by the Walt Disney Company, of all places) with plenty of scares to frighten viewers both old and young. Many of its biggest scares come from its villains, including the demented Wheelers, the head-stealing witch Mombi, and the eerily Claymation-animated Gnome King and his followers.
#5: The Halloween Tree (1993)
Hanna-Barbera | Not Rated
Where to Watch: YouTube (Rent), Google Play (Rent), Apple TV (Rent), Amazon Prime (Rent)
Four young children prepare to go trick-or-treating, only to discover that their other friend has been sent to the hospital for appendicitis. Now they must go on a time-traveling adventure to track down his lingering spirit and save it from the villainous Moundshroud, who seeks to claim it for his own. All the while, the children learn about the meaning behind their costumes by visiting the mummies of Ancient Egypt, the druid witches of pre-Christian England, and the stone gargoyles of Notre Dame.
Based on a story by Ray Bradbury, this animated special by Hanna Barbara has the late author himself deliver narration with iconic lines lifted straight from the pages of his book. The villain of dubious motivation, Mr. Mountshroud, is played by the late Lenord Nimoy, who delivers a classic and haunting performance. This special is equal parts entertaining and educational, as it touches upon the origins of Halloween and its many iconic monsters. A delightful watch to introduce to young viewers who are not ready for the bigger scares in other horror movies.
A three-vehicle crash occurred near Lakeland Thursday, October 26, 2023, resulting in the death of one person, and injuries to two others.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office and Polk County Fire Rescue were dispatched at about 4:44pm, to the crash on Ewell Road, about a quarter mile west of Old Highway 37. Upon arrival of first responders, 49-year old Thomas Holloway of Plant City was found deceased in his vehicle.
The other two drivers were identified as 53-year old Jose Castro of Lakeland and 26-year old Logan Barrand of Lakeland. They were both transported to a local hospital for treatment.
Mr. Holloway was the driver of a gray 2020 Kia Soul, and Mr. Castro and Ms. Barrand were driving a white 2019 Chevrolet Silverado pickup and a silver 2009 Hyundai Sonata, respectively.
During the investigation at the scene, Ewell Road was closed in both directions for about three-and-a-half hours.
According to the preliminary investigation, based on statements and evidence, Mr. Holloway’s Kia was traveling west on Ewell Road, Mr. Castro’s Chevy was eastbound on Ewell followed by Ms. Barrand in her Hyundai.
For unknown reasons, the Kia crossed over the center line and sideswiped the Chevy truck. The Kia then struck the Hyundai with enough force that the Kia’s engine became completely detached.
All three drivers were wearing their seat belts.
The investigation is ongoing, but no charges are anticipated.
27-year old Elijah Mills from Maitland is an Uber driver, but we wouldn’t recommend him to anyone.
On the night of October 24th, at around 9:37pm, Elijah was Ubering a couple from the United Kingdom.
The couple, Marc and Riannon are in Polk County to attend a wedding next week—theirs.
As they were traveling on US 27 in the Four Corners area of Davenport, a PCSO deputy got behind them. And then came a few more deputies. And then the deputies boxed-in Elijah’s Chevy Equinox and forced it to stop.
Marc & Rianna taking photos with the Popo
Why? Because it wasn’t really Elijah’s Chevy Equinox. Elijah rented the vehicle from a company in Orange County, and then decided to stop making payments on the vehicle. So the rental company reported it as stolen.
Elijah even told our deputies that the rental company would call him every day, but he refused to answer because he knew they would ask him about the payments.
Then Elijah told our deputies something really wild. He said that the rental company equips their vehicles with a device that keeps the vehicle from restarting, in case people stop making their payments. So, Elijah had kept the Chevy Equinox running…for THREE STRAIGHT WEEKS!
Deputies arrested Elijah.
As for Marc and Riannon—the deputies posed with the happy couple for a quick photo, then gave them a free ride to where they are staying.
The deputies also gave Elijah a free ride, but it was to the Polk Pokey. There he was charged with Grand Theft Motor Vehicle and Driving While License Suspended or Revoked. Yep…Elijah, the driver-for-hire didn’t even have a valid driver’s license.
BARTOW, Fla. – The Tax Collector for Polk County, Joe G. Tedder, was proud to present a check to the Polk County School Board in its Tuesday night meeting!
The 2022-2023 Kids Tag Art (KTA) program’s fundraising totals set new records; the check, in the amount of $42,448, represents dollars sent directly to art teachers across the district.
Polk Tax Collector Joe Tedder
KTA is a 501(c)(3) program founded in Polk County to inspire fifth grade art students to design their own specialty vanity license plates. This ‘tag art’ can be ordered and installed on the front of vehicles! Designs are entered into an online portal at www.KidsTagArt.com for people to purchase, with funds going back to teachers to help them buy art supplies!
“We continue to set records with each year of Kids Tag Art,” Tedder said, “and this remarkable fundraiser is a way we hope to help meet the needs of Fine Arts teachers by adding to their budgets for classroom supplies.” In the 2022-2023 school year, Kids Tag Art hit milestones:
$53,830 raised for Polk County schools (public, private, and charter schools)
$42,448 raised for Polk County Public Schools alone
$625 (at least) to each art teacher
$602,459 total raised in Polk County to date
$2,098,022 total raised across participating Florida counties to date. Generous sponsors also make this giving possible, including: major sponsor Southern Homes of Polk County, DPrint, Bartow Ford, LEGOLAND Florida, Big 4 Radio – 97.5 WPCV and Max 98.3—Hall Communications, Lauren’s Kids, Bill2Pay, MIDFLORIDA Credit Union, LAMAR Advertising Company, Polk Education Foundation, Florida Heart Research Foundation, South State Bank, Polk Arts & Cultural Alliance, Publix Supermarket Charities, Unlimited DPI, Polk Museum of Art, Florida Department of Citrus, First Lakeland Tag Agency, St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital/BayCare Kids, and of course Polk County Public Schools.
