ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – A man arrested after a series of crimes, car thefts and assaults across Florida on Thursday will be extradited to St. Johns County to face two counts of first-degree murder, Sheriff David Shoar announced at noon Friday.
Norman Blake McKenzie, 42, is accused of killing two people in a home on Palmo Fish Camp Road off state Road 13 before stealing two cars and carjacking two others as law enforcement tracked him to Citrus County and arrested him after a foot chase through the woods.
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Calling McKenzie a career criminal on a crime spree, Shoar said the killer knew his victims, identified as 64-year-old Charles Johnston and 49-year-old Randy Peacock.
The medical examiner will perform autopsies to determine their causes of death, but the first deputies at the scene described they were killed "by violent means."
"We have very good information that Mr. McKenzie was on his way here to commit homicide," Shoar said. "We've got some information that there were a couple of other intended victims, and they were not home, so he went somewhere else and looked for another target of opportunity."
Johnston and Peacock became those targets on Thursday.
Neighbors told Channel 4 that Johnston would open his home to anyone and that they had seen McKenzie at the victim's house doing odd jobs. They said they believe it was the victim's kindness of which McKenzie took advantage.
"He had known this gentleman for over a year. He'd come in and out. I saw him on Wednesday, and I didn't think anything about it," said neighbor Karen Pfeiffer. "Charlie was just a trusting soul."
"He would bring them in and try to rehabilitate them and help them out, and he paid them. So, for someone to come in after they've been treated well by him and then to kill him is senseless," said Johnston's neighbor, Kathy Nickoloff.
McKenzie is also a suspect in the stabbing death of James Dixon in Folkston, Ga., last week. Deputies said a gold Kia SUV found at the St. Johns County homicide scene was the same vehicle seen leaving the Charlton County homicide on Sept. 29. Investigators said McKenzie may have known Dixon.
McKenzie allegedly confessed to the crimes and showed no remorse, handing the wallet of one of the St. Johns County victims to an officer and saying, "You're probably going to need this."
Shoar said he worked through the day and overnight with several sheriffs' offices, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to not only catch McKenzie, but also to develop the charges against him.
Shoar said this murder investigation coming on the heels of the chase and death of a suspected serial killer on Monday has made for an extremely busy week for his office.
"St. Johns County is a beautiful place. I guess the bad guys come here, too," Shoar said. "Unfortunately, we lost two of our citizens a couple days ago because of the acts of Mr. McKenzie."
Authorities said they believe McKenzie, a resident of Gainesville, stole a car from the homicide victims in St. Johns County and headed to Gainesville, where he carjacked a red Camaro.
He was also suspected in subsequent carjackings in Marion County and in Levy County before being spotted in Citrus County, where deputies said they pursued his car until he crashed into a tree and ran into a heavily wooded area.
Shoar said McKenzie is expected to be returned to St. Johns sometime next week.
Previous Stories:
- October 5, 2006: Suspect In 3 Slayings Caught
- October 5, 2006: Two Dead In St. Johns County Home
- September 29, 2006: Folkston Man's Death Called Suspicious