TAMPA, Fla. — A 36-year-old man faces a first-degree murder charge after a stolen wallet and neighborhood security footage tied him to a fatal beating on West Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard last week.
Mel Mcray Jr. was charged Friday with premeditated murder and robbery, according to the Tampa Police Department.
The case began on the evening of June 13, when officers responded to a report of an unresponsive person in the 1900 block of West Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd just before 6:20 p.m. When police arrived at the scene, they discovered a deceased man who had suffered what investigators described as suspicious injuries. The Medical Examiner’s office later conducted an autopsy, ruling the death a homicide caused by a beating.
Detectives immediately pulled surveillance video from nearby cameras. The footage showed a man walking through the area at around the same time the victim was killed. Through their investigation, police identified that man as Mcray. Mcray was already in custody at the time, having been picked up on June 16 for an unrelated matter.
As the investigation unfolded, detectives spoke to a witness who claimed Mcray had bragged about getting into a fight. The witness told police that Mcray admitted to beating up a man who had allegedly tried to rob him on Saturday, June 13.
When police questioned Mcray, his story changed. Detectives said he initially denied any involvement in a fight, though he acknowledged he was in the area. Eventually, Mcray admitted to hitting the victim several times, noting that the two had never met before. He also told investigators that he went through the man’s pockets and took his property.
The final pieces of evidence came together when investigators searched Mcray’s belongings. Mixed in with his personal items, detectives recovered the deceased man’s wallet and several other pieces of identification.
Mcray is currently being held on charges of Murder in the First Degree Premeditated and Robbery of less than $750. Police noted that the investigation remains open and active.
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