In a year that began withanuncharacteristically low number of homicide cases, Palm Beach Countyhas seen a spike in recent months that puts it on pace to reach nearly 100 homicides by year's end.
Medical Examiner's Office records show 47homicides reported in the county through June 30, a 34percent increase over the mid-year mark in 2020.
More than half of those cases – 35– have been occurred since the beginning of April.
Last year, Palm Beach County recorded its lowest mid-year total in more than a decade, with 35 reported cases. But a spikeduring the second half of the year put the 2020 total at 99, medical examiner records show.
The Palm Beach Post began tracking reported local homicides in 2009through an interactive online database, with information provided by law-enforcement agencies and the medical examiner's office.Since 2009, the county's highest total in a single year was 110 in 2015.Thelowest was 83 in 2011.
This year's mid-year total has been more consistent with pre-pandemic years, according to the online database. For example, in 2019 Palm Beach County had 48 homicide cases as of June 30.
More:In break with trends, no homicides in Palm Beach County during first five weeks of 2021
More:At the fourth anniversary of her daughter's death, mother pleads for help solving murder cold case
More:Family, detectives ask for clues in unsolved 2015 Boynton Beach homicide
Gunfire cause of death in 34of 47homicides
Thisyear began with no homicide deaths during the first five weeks. The first one occurred in Februaryin Riviera Beach. Investigators said that 22-year-old Allaysia McDonald was fatally shot Feb. 13 on the 1000 block of Blue Heron Boulevard.She was the first of at least ninewomen to die in a homicide this year.
June marked the deadliest monthso far with 13homicide cases. There also were 12 in April. Gunfire has been attributed to the majority of homicide deaths, with at least 34people being shot, records show. One death was attributed to a stabbing, and two people to blunt trauma.
Authorities have described a variety of motives ranging from domestic violence to violence in the workplace.
Three cases involved murder-suicides, including the fatal shootings of a 69-year-old woman andher 1-year-old grandson inside a Publix Super Market on June 10 in Royal Palm Beach. Authorities sayTimothy Wall shot and killed the toddler and then the grandmother as she attempted to fight him off.
Wall then turned the gun and took his own life, Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office investigators said, A former relative of Walltold The Palm Beach Post that Wall had dealt with recent bouts of schizophrenia. Authorities said he made threatening posts on social media, including a desire to harm children.
Authorities did not disclose the names of the toddler or his grandmother, citing a 2018 state constitutional amendment modeled after California'sMarsy’sLaw. The law allows crime victims or their families to have their names withheld from public disclosure.
2021 homicide victims include two children under the age of 10
The toddler wasone of two children homicide victims under the age of 10.
In April, Dexter FergussonJr., 7, was killed when an unknown assailantfired shots through the window of a Riviera Beach apartment where the child and his family were sleeping.Dexter’s mother was wounded in the attack.
“We have a kid who would have been a future governor, future president, future doctor, lawyer, school teacher or news journalist who is not here today,” Riviera Beach Police Chief Nathan Osgood said in the hours after the shooting.
To date, police have not released any information regarding a suspect.
The child and 2021'stwo oldest victims died within days of eachother. On April 15, Floyd Hyatt was found dead on his 72ndbirthday in a home in Palm Springs. Authorities said his death was a homicide but did not release any other details.
The following day PeterSeisser, 73, died from injuries he sustained days earlier in an attack byhis roommate at aWest Palm Beach-area assisted living facility, authorities said.
The roommate, identified as 70-year-old Steven Wolff, wasarrested on a second-degree murder charge. A judge deemedWolff to be incompetent to stand trial and ordered that he undergo treatment at a Florida Department of Children and Families mental health facility. The case is due for a status hearing in December.
Authorities say a worker at a Belle Glade sugar mill shot andkilled his supervisor, 67-year-old William Combass,in Juneafter the workerwas fired from his job of 31 years. Felix Cabrera, 86, was arrested on a charge of first-degree murder. Cabrera has pleaded not guilty to the charge. The case is scheduled for a status hearing in August.
2018 amendment lets families withhold victims' names from public
Authorities initially withheld disclosure of Combass' name, citing the 2018 state constitutional amendment. However,his identify was later disclosed by a family member.
The identities of 18 homicide victims remain undisclosed, with authorities citing the amendment in several cases.
Boynton Beach police also cited the amendment in withholding the names of two city police officers involved in the May 11 shooting death of a New Jersey man. Authorities alleged that Christian Castro, 27, of Clifton, N.J. was armed with a knife and hammer as officers responded to a domestic disturbance call and described the situation as “extremely volatile.”
Police said that their officers, along with two women residing in the home where the incident took place, were victims because of threats to their safety.
The investigation into the legality of the officer's actions was turned over to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
jwhigham@pbpost.com
@JuliusWhigham
