Okaloosa Traffic Stop
Sunday, July 12
As the press conference is ending, Okaloosa County deputies stop a 2004 Cadillac Escalade bearing Florida tag G76-9KJ and distinct Fifth Dimension emblems on both the rear windows at the intersection of McGriff Street and Eglin Parkway in Fort Walton Beach, about thirty miles east of Pensacola.
According to the Investigative Report by State Attorney’s Office, the stop is predicated because the driver, Gary Lamont Sumner, Jr., was a person of interest in the Billings case. The deputies determine at the stop that his license is restricted to business purposes only. Sumner is on felony probation for previous traffic offenses involving his restricted driver’s license. He is arrested, based on probable cause, for violation of his probation and the restrictions on his license. He is taken to the Shalimar Courthouse Annex.
Okaloosa Investigator Jeremy Peaden takes preliminary photos of the Escalade on his personal iPhone and sends them via email to Capt. Bruce Wood at the ECSO
SUMNER TALKS
While Wayne Coldiron and Patrick Gonzalez are being arrested, State Attorney Investigator Corey Aittama and Chief Barry Brooke interview Gary Sumner at the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office.
Sumner says he lives at 2200 Salamanca Street in Navarre, a community on the bordoer of Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties. He shares with his girlfriend Lauren Hilary Williams.
When the investigators tell him that he is a suspect of a homicide that recently occurred, Sumner appears nervous and immediately disavows all knowledge of the crime. The only homicide that he says he has heard about is “the guy with the kids that was playing on TV.”
Aittama tells him that he has been identified by the other suspects as a participant. He tells Sumner that the WalMart video shows him meeting Patrick Gonzalez there on Thursday, July 9.
Sumner says that has known Patrick for about three weeks. He says that Patrick own an older Bentley and wants him to paint it. He has been eager to do it because he anticipates being paid approximately $30,000. He describes Patrick as a short white male and a family man who believed to be a martial arts instructor.
After that first meeting Patrick at his shop, 5th Dimension, Sumner says they were in contact nearly daily. He has Patrick’s cell number and has it stored on his cell phone as “Pat Bentley.”
He says at approximately 3 p.m. on Thursday, July 9 that he drove with Donnie Stallworth in a rust-colored Ford Explorer to the WalMart in Gulf Breeze. Stallworth drove because Sumner’s girlfriend had his Escalade. According to Sumner, they were going to meet Patrick to physically view the Bentley.
Patrick arrived at the WalMart in a small red van, possibly maroon. After walking around the store, the three got into the van and Patrick drove them to his residence where they saw the Bentley, which was parked in a garage.
The house’s location is described as the second driveway on the righthand side of an unknown road just through the “S” curves that intersected with Highway 98 in Gulf Breeze, somewhere between the movie theater and a BP gas station. It’s Pamela Long Wiggins’ residence.
After examining the car, Patrick drove them back to the WalMart. Stallworth and Sumner returned to 5th Dimension in Fort Walton Beach, where they remained until later in the evening.
Sumner denies knowing where Beulah is. He says that he has never been there and denies ever driving the Cadillac Escalade there.
He does say that Patrick had called him earlier that day to warn him that law enforcement may be approaching him about what was on the news and to be ready. Sumner consents to a search of his Escalade.
Consent Search results:
Handwritten note “Slim” and “Fred”
Sumner’s cell phone found in the center console area
Wal-Mart receipt dated 07-11-2009, in the center console area
Misc photographs, in front passenger seat, rear pocket
Documents inside Bank of America bag, in the front seat, rear pocket
Pair of Nike Air Jordans (size 10.5, pair of black MAC Tools mechanic gloves, in the second row seating
GIRLFRIEND LEAVES WITH CAR
At approximately 11:30 p.m. Aittama interviews Lauren Hillary Williams outside the Shalimar Courthouse Annex.
She initially says that Sumner had driven her to work and picked up her at the completion of her shift on both Thursday and Friday. Then she recalls that she had actually used the Escalade on Thursday, July 9 and that Sumner had been picked-up by a black male that she only knew as Dorsey sometime before 11 a.m.
Williams works at the Super Cuts in Navarre until 7 p.m. When she completed her Thursday shift, she bought dinner at the adjacent Publix and drove home, arriving between 7:15 and 7:30 p.m. Sumner wasn’t there.
Sumner returned home between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. She assumed that Dorsey had driven him home, but was unsure. Upon entering, Sumner greeted and kissed her. He then went to the bathroom and stay there for an undetermined amount of time.
Afterwards, he went into the spare bedroom and was on the computer in there for approximately five minutes. She thought he was checking his email. Then they want to bed. He watched television. She read a book. They went to sleep with little interaction.
Since she owned the Escalade, Williams is allowed to drive it home.
Copyright © 2009 Rick Outzen
Popularity: 2% [?]
