9-4-2006 Florida:A man accused of killing an elderly Pasco resident was arrested Sunday. Luis A. Rivera, 23, was charged with first-degree murder in the death of William C. Medley, 72, according to the Pasco County Sheriff's Office. Investigators said Rivera killed Medley during a robbery at the elderly man's house, 21212 Franklin Drive in Lacoochee.
Medley, a registered sex offender, died from injuries consistent with knife wounds and blunt trauma, the sheriff's office said. Investigators said he died between Tuesday and Wednesday. His body was found Thursday after a friend, who hadn't heard from Medley for several days, went by his home to check on him. The door was unlocked and Medley's body was found inside on the floor, the sheriff's office said.
Medley was serving 14 years of probation after he was convicted of eight counts of lewd and lascivious assault on a child younger than 16 in Hillsborough County in 1996. The sheriff's office said Medley's death appeared to have nothing to do with those crimes. Rivera was arrested by Tampa police in his apartment complex at 8923 N. 40th St. about 1:30 p.m. after authorities received a tip. Rivera has been arrested before, his most recent being in February on robbery and burglary charges. Disposition of the case was withheld by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
On Saturday, a man contacted the sheriff's office with information about Medley's death. According to the man, Rivera showed him Medley's Dodge Dakota pickup, which was parked behind a Hess gas station. ..more.. : by MARI ROBYN JONES
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Neighbors have two views of victim
Some say he was a great guy. Others aren't surprised he was killed. Many knew he was a sex offender.
LACOOCHEE - Neighbors who knew an elderly Lacoochee man found dead in his home this week painted conflicting portraits of him Friday.
William C. Medley, 72, was last seen Tuesday night. His Dodge Dakota pickup was last seen Wednesday, authorities said. A neighbor went to check on him Thursday at the house where he lived alone, 21212 Franklin Drive. After the neighbor called 911, paramedics arrived, and then authorities from the Sheriff's Office. Medley had been killed.
Investigators blocked off the white wood house. They walked around the cluttered front porch and the yard full of cars, trucks, RVs, a tow truck and a trailer - signs of Medley's work as a mechanic.
Some neighbors were shocked to hear that someone had killed him.
Kim Marsella described Medley as a sweet, considerate man who used to check up on her after she suffered a stroke.
He gave her 15-year-old son, Michael Haas, a dirt bike and let the teen use it when he came to visit Medley. They called him "Mr. Bill."
"You couldn't have liked him more," said Marsella's mother, Norma Haas.
But many in the neighborhood, including Haas and Marsella, knew that Medley was a convicted sex offender. Marsella always went with her son when he visited Medley to use the bike.
In 1989, Medley was convicted of four counts of a lewd and lascivious act with a child under age 16, records show. He was incarcerated until 1995, when he was released and placed on probation, said Jo Ellyn Rackleff, a spokeswoman with the Florida Department of Corrections. He violated his parole in 1996 by leaving the state, and he was to remain on probation until 2011, she said.
Some saw only Medley's past.
Authorities aren't saying how Medley died, but in the end, neighbor Greg Odom said, "He got what he deserved."
Odom, 44, said he is especially offended by crimes against children since a niece of his was killed at age 12. "It was just a matter of time. ... I'm glad he's dead."
David Glentzer, 49, who lives on the block, said he was not surprised that Medley was killed. "When you play with fire, you're going to get burned," he said.
Medley, a skinny man often seen smoking a cigar, was known for working on cars. Dozens of vehicles filled his front and back yards.
He was also known for carrying around cash.
"He carried a lot of money on him," Glentzer said, speculating as to a motive for his death. "Everyone around here knew it."
Medley had been a frequent victim of petty crime.
Sheriff's spokesman Doug Tobin said Medley had filed several crime reports in recent years. In May 2005, someone broke into his home. In March 2004, someone broke into one of his cars. In 2003, a car was stolen, he told authorities. And in 2002, a pressure washer was taken from his driveway.
Wilfredo Santiago, 42, a neighbor who is a mechanic and who used to buy car parts from Medley, said Medley was targeted by thieves because he kept valuable auto parts, such as tire rims, on his property.
Santiago moved into the neighborhood about 10 years ago and had known Medley ever since. He said many in the area misjudged Medley. He was really quiet and helpful, Santiago said.
"To me, he was a good man," he said.
The Sheriff's Office has not released information regarding a suspect or a motive for the crime. Authorities are looking for Medley's stolen truck, a 1995 silver Dodge Dakota pickup with Florida license plate X04-VJK. Anyone with information should call the Sheriff's Office at 1-800-854-2862, ext. 501. ..more.. by Gina Pace
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FL- Man pleads guilty to killing child molester
2-19-2009 Florida:
DADE CITY -- Luis Angel Rivera, accused of killing a convicted sex offender in Lacoochee in 2006, pleaded guilty Thursday to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
Authorities said Rivera (pictured), 26, killed 72-year-old William Medley in a robbery sometime between Aug. 27 and 31, 2006, at Medley's Lacoochee home, then stole his pickup. Medley was on probation at the time for his conviction in 1989 on four counts of a lewd and lascivious act with a child under age 16 in 1980s. He was incarcerated until 1995.
He worked on cars in his yard, keeping cash and valuable parts around. Authorities said he was often the victim of thefts. He died of knife wounds and blunt trauma.
Rivera faced a first-degree murder charge. He pleaded to second-degree murder in a deal negotiated with prosecutors. ..News Source.. by Molly Moorhead, Times staff writer
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