A Florida man was sentenced to 45 years in Florida State Prison for the brutal beating death of a Daytona Beach restaurant manager.
The defendant pleaded guilty to Second-Degree Murder with a Weapon in May.
According to court documents, on January 18, 2021, the victim was reported missing to the Volusia Sheriff’s Office.
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During the investigation, his vehicle was tracked down, and deputies pulled over the driver, Michael Harris, in DeLand.
Harris, who was 20 years old at the time, told deputies that the victim loaned him the vehicle after they drove to Orlando, which was later discovered to be false.
Detectives then learned that the victim’s phone had been found in a vacant lot in DeLand.
The day before he was reported missing, they discovered that the victim had been messaging Harris on a dating app, and they agreed to meet for sex.
Detectives learned the victim picked up Harris at his DeLand home, and they found a place in town to park and have sex. The victim was not seen or heard from after that.
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Harris was arrested after being linked to the murder and disappearance of the victim through DNA evidence. The defendant’s fingerprints were positively identified on multiple blood smears found on the vehicle.
The victim’s body was eventually found in a wooded area of DeLand. He died of blunt-force trauma.
The case was investigated by the Volusia Sheriff’s Office. Assistant State Attorney Heatha Trigones successfully prosecuted the case for the State.
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