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Deborah Russell - Editor/Publisher
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Tom Russell - Consulting Editor
A Publication of
Wednesday June 11, 2008
Permit No. 4
Mike Moore - Photojournalist
Newscaster Publishing
Sally Price Correspondent
Squawk Box Homosassa
Homicide
With Doug Johnston
Chicago, Chicago I'll show you
Investigation
around: Part 3 of 3
We took a Red Line train to
Results In
the Addison station, about 3
miles from Wrigley Field, where
we boarded a Blue Line train to
Arrest
take back to the Rosemont sta-
tion. The trip back cost nothing additional as
From The Citrus County Sheriff Dept.
it was part of our all day pass.
Scott Coleman, 49, Homosassa, was
We transferred to our train with little wait-
charged on June 9 with the second degree
ing and got our last ride through Chicago.
murder of 46-year-old
We breezed by good neighborhoods and run-
James Edward Powell.
down neighborhoods in the blink of an eye.
According to the Cit-
At one stop a young black man boarded the
rus County Sheriff's Of-
train. He fit my mental image of a "gangsta".
The Democratic Party of Citrus County sponsored an intimate dinner with US Senator Bill
fice, Coleman and
He was wearing baggy pants and had tattoos
Nelson in the restaurant at B&W Rexall Drug Store during his recent visit to Inverness. The
Powell were acquainted
and wearing gold jewelry. He had earphones
owner of B&W Rexall, Ken Heimann (a democratic candidate for County Commission, District
and resided on the
stuck in his ears. The young man fixed his
5) was elated that his restaurant was chosen again to host the Senator. Karen Thurman, the
same property, but in
eyes directly at mine as he came on board and
Chairwoman of the Florida Democratic Party, was also a guest and introduced Senator Nelson
different, makeshift
sat right across from me and Kathie. His pres-
to a crowd of Democrats from around Citrus County. The Senator spoke on many subjects of
housing in the 1700
ence was slightly unsettling
interest including his concern for the seating of Florida's 210 delegates during the national
block of S. Palm Ave. in
As we approached our station to transfer
convention. Pictured left to right: Ken Heimann, Karen Thurman, and Senator Bill Nelson.
Homosassa.
to the Blue Line train I was a little relieved
Scott Coleman
Meet more candidates for Levy County property appraiser on pages 10,11.
The arrest re-
when the young man didn't get up to change
Three Dead In
port stated that on June 2, around 9:15 a.m.,
or get off. But when I had taken about three
deputies responded to the S. Palm Ave. loca-
steps he yelled at me. "Hey", he shouted. I
Cedar Key Plane Crash
tion, due to Powell's demise, and spoke with
turned and looked at him and he said "Sir,
two neighbors who live within 50 yards of the
you left your Cubs shirt." The shirt was a
location where Powell's body was found.
freebie that was handed out to the fans that
Coleman identified Powell's body at
arrived for the game so Kathie and I both were
A plane crash near Cedar Key, into
the scene and told deputies that he had last
recipients. I was at once grateful to the young
the Gulf of Mexico, July 7, resulted in the
seen Powell, who had been intoxicated, on
man for retrieving my souvenir and a little
death of the three occupants.
the evening of May 30th.
ashamed that I had stereotyped the man solely
The body of 43-year-old John M.
Due to the advanced state of decom-
by his appearance. "Thank you very much", I
Borchard, the owner of the plane, was found
position, no determination could be made on
said. "I would have been very disappointed if
on Saturday afternoon by a fisherman in the
the possible cause of Powell's death. His body
I had got home without this. Thanks again", I
water off North Key, about a mile off the west
Cessna 206 similar to the victim's aircraft
was transported to the medical examiner's of-
added. "No problem", he said.
end of the airport, among some of the wreck-
fice for autopsy. A detective attended the au-
We reached the Rosemont station and
a restaurant in town, Frog's Landing, and the
age of his single-engine Cessna 206 airplane.
topsy on June 3rd, when it was determined
called the hotel for a ride. The shuttle arrived
group dined together. As they were leaving
The bodies of the other two occupants, the
that Powell had died
within 15 minutes.
the restaurant, Borchard and Gonzalez agreed
48-year-old pilot, Frank Gonzalez, of Plant City,
due to blunt trauma to
That evening we went downstairs to the
to repay the lift to the restaurant by taking
and a passenger, 47-year-old Julia Kelly, of
his head.
Kelly on a short night flight.
Continued on page 3 - Squawk Box
Solon, Iowa, were found on Sunday, about
On June 4th,
The three left in the plane, around
three miles out from Cedar Key, in the body of
Coleman agreed to an
12:30 a.m., to take a flight that should have
the plane.
Meet Your
interview with two de-
taken about 10 to 15 minutes, while the re-
The Cessna's flight originated at the
tectives at the Homo-
mainder of the group traveled back to the res-
Plant City Airport during the evening of July
sassa substation. He
Candidates
taurant to retrieve a camera that was left be-
6th, with six occupants - Borchard (the owner
denied any knowledge
hind. As the group in the car arrived back at
of the plane), Gonzalez (the pilot), and two
of Powell's death. He
the airport from the restaurant, they saw the
For
young couples. According to published re-
eventually requested
blinking lights of the plane coming toward
Edward Powell
ports, the trip was a wedding gift for one of
an attorney, and the
them from the west, then they saw an orange
the couples. When the plane landed at the
Property
interview was terminated. Coleman was trans-
glow that looked like a fireball on the water.
Cedar Key airport, the group from the Cessna
ported back to the location where he was stay-
They kept waiting for the plane to return, but
struck up a conversation with two vacation-
ing.
it never did.
Appraiser
ing sisters who were enjoying the sunset at
On June 5th, Coleman was arrested
According to the U.S. Coast Guard,
the airport, Julia Kelly, who later died in the
on a Citrus County warrant for violation of
they were contacted by the Federal Aviation
airplane crash, and her sister, Amy Davidson,
see pages 10,11
probation (the original charges were burglary
Administration around 2:00 a.m., and an HH-
who lives in Marshall, Illinois. The party from
Continued on page 8 - Plane Crash
Continued on page 3 - Homicide Investigation
the airplane asked the sisters to drive them to