STARKE

A Florida man was executed Wednesday for breaking into a woman’s home and stabbing her to death in 1986, a crime that came months after he was released from prison for rape.

The town of Callahan and the city of Starke were among several rural communities to receive funds Tuesday from the state for community development projects.

Festival season continues across the area this upcoming weekend, with the Bradford County Strawberry Festival getting underway this Saturday and Sunday.

Florida executed a man on Thursday for murdering a woman in 1990 after he escaped from prison, stabbing her to death in a shopping mall parking lot in an attempted carjacking.

We have a crew on the way to a scene at a Circle K in Starke. The Starke Police Department said there is a large police presence. It’s an active scene and to please avoid the area, according to police.

The Florida Highway Patrol says a 64-year-old man from Archer was killed while riding a motorcycle Saturday night in Starke.

One Bradford County teen is now a world champion in powerlifting.

A 19-year-old man was arrested Saturday night and accused of shooting another man in the chest at a gas station in Lawtey, according to the Bradford County Sheriff’s Office.

A second woman has been arrested and accused of abusing her power as a cadre or supervisor to have a romantic relationship with a 16-year-old girl while working at Florida Youth Challenge Academy at Camp Blanding in Starke.

Despite recent allegations involving employees having inappropriate relationships with cadets, the Florida Youth Challenge Academy (FLYCA) at Camp Blanding in Starke is speaking out about its programming, success rates and the changes management made to better protect teen cadets.

Classes at Bradford Middle School will be canceled Tuesday and Wednesday due to water that entered the main building during a storm Sunday night, the school district said Monday.

A parent of one of the cadets at a youth academy in Bradford County is speaking out after accusations involving inappropriate behavior between her daughter and an employee.

Several law enforcement agencies are investigating allegations concerning inappropriate behavior involving a cadet and an employee at the Florida Youth Challenge Academy in Starke.

A man died Thursday night when the truck he was in was hit by a train on Market Street in Starke after trying to cross the railroad tracks while the warning arms were down, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

A video recording of a Bradford County preschool teacher using threatening language toward a student is shedding light on what led to an investigation that ultimately shut down the Starke school.

A Bradford County day care had its license suspended Friday after an ongoing investigation by the Starke Police Department, which has been working with the Department of Children and Families.

Three people were hurt, including a teenager, in a crash Friday morning involving a box truck and a semitruck in Starke, according to Bradford County Fire Rescue Chief Dylan Rodgers.

As detectives continue to investigate the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, many parents are asking about safety protocols in their children’s schools.

The family of a local soldier killed by a bear in Alaska invites people across Northeast Florida to come out Monday and pay their respects.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis wants the state Legislature to revoke a provision that gives Walt Disney World autonomy in governing areas near its theme parks.

Students at the North Florida Technical College say they’ve just learned their cosmetology program is shutting down with little notice, and many are scrambling to figure out how they’ll complete their degrees.

One Bradford County high schooler is making a name for herself and other young girls who want to weightlift.

A 19-year-old man was hit by a car while pumping gas in Bradford county Monday evening, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

The arrests come after an investigation by the Starke Police Department, with assistance from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Eighth Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office.

A New York man died after a crash in Bradford County Thursday night, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

Fatal crash in Starke, Florida on US 301.

A rehabilitated bald eagle that was discovered just after Christmas hanging upside down in a tree, tangled in moss has been released back into the wild.

A woman was killed and a man was seriously injured in a head-on crash early Friday morning in Union County, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

A neighborhood in Starke was cleaning up Thursday after a tornado tore through the area Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.

The Starke Police Department said damage and debris was left behind following Wednesday’s afternoon storms.

A 20-year-old man accused of shooting and killing a man in Starke and stealing a vehicle was arrested Saturday in Columbia County, the Starke Police Department said.

A second employee of the Bradford County School District surrendered this week on felony charges related to sexually explicit communication with a student, according to the Bradford County Sheriff’s Office.

A second female employee of the Bradford County School District is expected to turn herself in on felony charges, the Sheriff’s Office told News4Jax on Tuesday night.

A coach at Bradford County High School turned herself in on felony charges Monday after sending explicit text messages to a student, authorities said.

Military bases statewide will receive a $3.4 million grant through multiple defense programs and local bases will receive roughly $1.9 million of that money.

A 25-year-old woman was critically injured in a knife attack Sunday in Starke, according to police.

A Starke man was seriously injured in a shooting Thursday afternoon, according to police.

One person died Friday from an early morning house fire in Starke, according to Bradford County Fire-Rescue.

Billy Wells, who earned the nickname “Monster of Mayport” after five bodies in varying states of decomposition were found in his Mayport mobile home in May 2003, was serving a life sentence at Florida State Prison when he killed again -- twice.

The man suspected in the Times Square shooting that injured two women and a 4-year-old girl is heading back to New York City to face charges in that case, authorities told News4Jax.

The man accused of shooting two women and a 4-year-old girl in Times Square over the weekend has seven days to consult with a public defender before he faces extradition to New York to face attempted murder charges against him, a Bradford County judge said Thursday after Farrakhan Muhammad’s first appearance in court.

A man identified by police as the suspected shooter in an incident in Times Square that wounded a 4-year-old girl and two women was arrested Wednesday in Starke, the Bradford County Sheriff's Office said.

Nearly 33,000 Florida inmates say they want a COVID-19 vaccine, according to the Florida Department of Health. Public health officials say they intend to offer the vaccine to state prisoners within the next two weeks.

What is just a small podn looks like a big lake after all the rain in Starke Tuesday morning. The storms parked over Bradford county Tuesday morning with several rounds of heavy rain around Starke and Camp Blanding. Flooding hotspots picked up 2.5-3.5 inches of rain. Pictures from the rain in Starke show flooded pastures and water swelling beyond a pond into the surroundings on County Road 229. Bands of rain focused along a warm front pushing through North Central Florida, focusing the heaviest rain west of the St. Johns River.

Edward Waters College was founded in 1866 by members of the African Methodist Episcopal Church to educate freedmen. TV personality and now Edward Waters College professor Rahman Johnson is a notable EWC graduate. Less than 10 years later, it took on the name Edward Waters College with the support, once again, of the AME Church, named after the third bishop, Edward Waters. Eighty percent of the students at Edward Waters College are first-generation college students, so they’re establishing a new tradition. Even during a pandemic, Edward Waters College hit its highest enrollment in 15 years.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – As the Weather Authority Alert continues Saturday, the National Weather continues to watch to severe storms track east northeast across Northeast Florida. A Tornado Watch is in effect for Union, Putnam, St. Johns and Flagler counties until midnight. For the differences between a Tornado Watch and a Tornado Warning, see the graphic below. Difference between a Tornado Watch and Tornado WarningThe Weather Authority Alert, which runs from 4-9 p.m., was triggered by heavy, disruptive rain and the potential for isolated severe thunderstorms. Those south of the I-10 corridor have an increased chance to see a strong to severe thunderstorm.

STARKE, Fla. – A man was arrested Tuesday after he tried to lure several children into his vehicle in Starke, police said. The Starke Police Department said Anthony Terry Jr., 40, was taken into custody Tuesday afternoon in the area of North Cherry Street and Jackson Street. According to the Police Department, numerous witnesses said they saw Terry try to entice several children, all under 13, into his gray SUV. Neighbors and parents confronted him at the scene and were able to keep him in the area until law enforcement arrived, according to the Police Department. Police said Terry is facing four counts of luring and enticing children under age 13, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, threats to kill law enforcement, disorderly intoxication, and loitering and prowling.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Today was lovely and warm, topping out at 80° at the airport, making it one of the top 10 warmest days on New Year’s Eve. Expect mild temperatures at midnight, with mid 60s expected. For perspective, our typical afternoon high this time of the year is in the mid 60s, so we are certainly warmer than normal. Expect Friday to be warm and breezy with partly cloudy skies and afternoon highs around 80°. Monday kicks off a chilly and sunny few days, waking up in the low 40s and warming into the mid to low 60s.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Thunderstorms that swept through Northeast Florida on Christmas Eve spawned a tornado in Starke that left two people injured, according to the National Weather Service Jacksonville. Crews surveyed the damage left in Bradford County in the wake of the strong storms and said it’s consistent with a tornado with maximum winds of 105 mph, classifying it an EF1. The NWS said the tornado developed just after 6 p.m. and left a damage path of about 4.13 miles. The tornado caused damage to trees, fences, and roofs on manufactured homes along its 4-mile path, NWS said. News4Jax saw damage along Highway 100 near Starke, where trees fell onto two homes and a car.

A man in his 20s shot in a vehicle parked at an apartment complex on South Water Street just after midnight Thursday died at the scene, according to the Starke Police Department. Officers said the man was shot once outside the Whispering Oaks Apartments. The Bradford County Sheriff’s Office criminal investigators and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement also responded to assist Starke police. The victim was not identified and there was no word about any suspect information.

Jamarion Smith, 18, tried to run over an officer and led police on a short chase Saturday night, according to Starke PD. STARKE, Fla. – An 18-year-old suspect led officers on a chase Saturday night, according to Starke Police. They say around 9:00 p.m., a Stark Police officer stopped Jamarion Smith for speeding at the intersection of Call Street and Water Street, but when the officer got out of their patrol car, they say Smith backed up toward the officer while speeding. Police say Smith then sped off, leading the officer on a high-speed chase for a few blocks before crashing on Oak Street and taking off on foot. While the K-9s were tracking, a nearby Starke police officer found Smith and arrested him.

Three people were arrested over the weekend after staging a noisy disturbance outside Florida State Prison in Starke, authorities said Sunday. By the time deputies arrived, they found the group had vandalized the facility’s property and refused to leave, the Sheriff’s Office said. Deputies said they zeroed in on three people they determined were “inciting the illegal behavior” and, after encountering some resistance, placed them under arrest. “Bradford County has no qualms with anyone wanting to peacefully protest,” Sheriff Gordon Smith said. “However, we will act quickly and decisively when the line is crossed into disorder and criminal behavior.”

The results of the autopsy completed Thursday found the child died from an overdose of fentanyl -- a very powerful narcotic that has caused thousands of deaths throughout the country. King was arrested Friday by Starke offers and booked into the Bradford County Jail where she is being held on a $1 million bond. He was booked into the Alachua County Jail where he is also being held on a $1 million bond pending extradition to Bradford County. Medical experts say opioids, fentanyl, in particular, can pose an extreme danger of overdose, even in adults. “Even at the end of this, we pray for the family, we pray for that child, we pray for the extended family.

STARKE, Fla. – A Clay County deputy who died in September from complications of COVID-19 was honored Saturday at the Krawl’n for the Fallen event in Starke. The event was overshadowed by tragedy Friday night when a skydiver died after his parachute didn’t deploy properly during a fun jump after practice. Despite the tragic death, the event carried on as law enforcement agencies and families of fallen officers gathered to honor those who have been lost. The Clay County Sheriff’s Office said it was honored that Sgt. He started with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office in the 90s before joining the Clay County Sheriff’s Office in 1998.

STARKE, Fla. – A 38-year-old woman died Wednesday night on U.S. 301 near the intersection of County Road 200B in Starke. Florida Highway Patrol investigators said she was killed as she walked towards a vehicle traveling north on the highway in the right lane. All northbound lanes of U.S. 301 were blocked between County Road 233 and County Road 200B during the investigation. FHP did not provide further details. If more information becomes available, News4Jax will update the story.

STARKE, Fla. – An arrest report obtained by News4Jax shows a 41-year-old employee of the Bradford County School District is charged with three counts of lewd and lascivious behavior. The district confirmed Dustin Kelsay works as a paraprofessional at Southside Elementary School in Starke and that Kelsay is on administrative leave. According to the report, three girls told detectives Kelsay inappropriately touched them in their home four years prior. The children told detectives the incidents happened while Kelsay was drunk. The school district said it was not able to go into details about the investigation, but that it is taking the allegations seriously.

STARKE, Fla. – The superintendent of the Bradford County School District is facing a defamation lawsuit brought by an organizer for the local chapter of Special Olympics Florida. “The email did not give dates, times, or list a phone number for a return call,” the Facebook post said. Cooper approached the Superintendent and proceeded to rant about the district’s failure to respond to her request; repeatedly using profanity," the Facebook post said. Cooper’s behavior was unprofessional, unwarranted and highly inappropriate given the presence of parents, teachers and even students in close enough proximity to have overheard her profane diatribe,” the district’s Facebook post said. After doing that she created a false and libelous post on the school district’s official Facebook page.

First responders in Starke had their hands full with an unusual call Wednesday, even by 2020′s standards: a pumpkin packed with explosives was found behind a business. The Starke Police Department announced the discovery in a Facebook post about 1:30 p.m., saying the pyrotechnic pumpkin was found behind the Tractor Supply Co. located on Walnut Street. Police said the pumpkin, which was loaded with approximately two pounds of unidentified explosives, was found directly beneath some power lines. “Due to the substance being activated,” police said, fire and rescue crews were brought in case they were needed as the Alachua County bomb squad dealt with the explosives. Additional details about the discovery weren’t immediately available.

STARKE, Fla. – An organization in Starke that offers programs for disadvantaged children and young adults is in need of repairs to its nearly 60-year-old gym. Due to COVID-19, President Alicia McMillan says it lost $92,000 in state grant funding for a new roof and air conditioning for the gymnasium at the RJE Renaissance Center, a focal point in the community. sdf“Our services have expanded to offer our disadvantaged youth summer camps, basketball tournaments, math and reading programs, and computer labs to build character and confidence with the future citizens of our community,” said McMillan, who oversees Concerned Citizens of Bradford County. If you would like to donate towards the repairs, contact the Concerned Citizens of Bradford County at (904)-966-1100 or go to concernedcitizensofbradfordcounty.com.

STARKE, Fla. – The parent of a Bradford Middle School student said her daughter was told by school leaders Tuesday to take off a face mask, which displayed support for the Black Lives Matter movement. Jennifer Brown told News4Jax that her daughter, 12-year-old Deziyah Brown, was not given an immediate explanation as to why the mask was not allowed but that she was later told it was too political. The black mask has the words “I can’t breathe,” printed in large, red letters followed by “Black Lives Matter” below in white letters. Brown said her daughter was not offered a replacement mask when she was told to remove her own. Harris said the school district does have masks on hand for any student that wants to wear one.

A 3-year-old girl died two weeks ago after she was found unresponsive in her familys swimming pool, according to the Florida Department of Children and Families. Clay County deputies said the child was pulled from an above-ground pool at a home off State Road 16 west of Penny Farms. This was the third child drowning in Northeast Florida this year. A 2-year-old child drowned in an above-ground pool in Nassau County in June and a 5-year-old was found face down in a bathtub in Alachua County in January. Florida loses more children under the age of 5 to drowning than any other state in the nation.

Two men who were wanted by Bradford County authorities were arrested Sunday, according to the Bradford County Sheriffs Office. Marcus T. Whitfield and Demetrius D. Wilson were arrested on warrants obtained by the Starke Police Department for active investigations, according to authorities. The men are being held at Bradford County Jail, according to deputies. Whitfield was arrested for second degree murder and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon and Wilson was arrested for conspiracy to commit first degree murder

STARKE, Fla. A body was found inside a home after the housesitter called police, the Starke Police Department said Sunday. Maj. Barry Warren told News4Jax a woman was housesitting for people who are out of town. When she went to check on the house, according to Warren, she noticed broken glass and blood and called police. Warren said when police went in, they found a body. The Police Department urged residents to avoid the area of Church and Washington streets while officers investigated.

STARKE, Fla. – A 19-year-old man was shot and killed Friday in Starke, according to a news release Wednesday from the Starke Police Department. Police said they responded around 9:30 p.m. Friday to the area of Old Lawtey Road in Starke after reports that someone had been shot. Officers found the 19-year-old dead from a gunshot wound. They are not releasing his name or the names of any potential suspects or persons of interest. The Starke Police Department is currently processing evidence collected at the scene and interviewing witnesses.

STARKE, Fla. Area law enforcement officers are keeping a close watch on national tensions between police and protesters, some are reinforcing their training on use of force and de-escalation. "Im black and Im white, Desue pointed out. On Wednesday afternoon, News4Jax saw deputies and school guardians training in Starke, going over how to deal with conflicts and de-escalation, among other tactics. He said use of force should also be minimized and deputies wear body cameras and have dash cameras. They may look at you as black, they may look at you as white or they may look at you as blue.

STARKE, Fla. – Authorities searching for a missing 2-year-old girl from Waldo said she was found safe in Starke on Monday. Christine Martin was believed to be with Robert Martin, 49, and Jennifer Goode, 26, according to a missing child alert issued by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. A Facebook post on the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office page was updated to say the child had been located. “The child appears fine and is currently with law enforcement officials in Starke,” the post read.

STARKE, Fla. – A driver was arrested after a Bradford Middle School student was struck by a car while exiting her school bus Tuesday in Starke. According to the Bradford County Sheriff’s Office, the student was getting off the bus on W. Brownlee Street just after 3 p.m. when a driver passed two cars in front of him in an attempt to get around the bus. Video of the incident showed the bus had stopped and had all lights and signs engaged, according to the Sheriff’s Office. The Sheriff’s Office identified the driver as Carl James Jr.James was arrested, accused of reckless driving and booked into the Bradford County Jail. The student had minor injuries and was transported to Shands of Starke for further evaluation.

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. - The North Florida Balloon Festival turned out to be nothing more than hot air. They said they are working to make sure everyone gets refunds for the North Florida Balloon Festival and that the cancellation happened due to venue issues. The events organizer, MidFlo, claims to host balloon festivals across the nation. North Florida Balloon festival said the airport board made a decision to not proceed just 16 hours after authorizing ticket sales. The company is scheduled to host three more balloon festivals across the state this month.

BRADFORD COUNTY, Fla. - A 3-year-old boy and a woman from Starke died Sunday in a head-on collision in Bradford County, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The two-car crash took place on State Road 100 at Southeast 14th Avenue around 6 a.m. Sunday. Troopers said Shelby Rosenthal, 29, and Zander Rosenthal, 3, were killed when the Ford minivan they were in crossed the centerline and crashed into a Dodge pickup truck. A 6-year-old boy in the minivan was also seriously injured in the crash, troopers said. The driver of the Dodge Ram had minor injuries from the crash.

VIDEO: A man, a woman and her 16-year-old son were killed in a head-on collision near Starke, according to the Bradford County Sheriff's Office.

STARKE, Fla. – A man riding his bike was shot and killed early Wednesday morning, the Starke Police Department said. According to police, the man was riding his bike on Old Lawtey Road about 12:15 a.m. when he was shot in the chest. Police said the man ran to a neighbor's home for help and first responders took him to a hospital, where he died. The Police Department continues to investigate.

VIDEO: A Starke couple turns to the I-TEAM after they say their trusted pastor failed to pay them back after loaning him thousands of dollars.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - A Fleming Island man and Starke woman were killed late Monday in a head-on crash in Alachua County. The collision happened about 11:30 p.m. on State Road 26, a two-lane road near Newnans Lake Conversation Area east of Gainesville, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The Volkswagens driver, 22-year-old Morneca Campbell, was not wearing a seatbelt, troopers said. The other driver, 61-year-old Frank Latorre, wore his seatbelt. Both drivers were taken to UF Health Shands Gainesville, where they were pronounced dead.

Today: Afternoon highs in the 80s under cloudy skies for Florida, partly cloudy across southeast Georgia with highs in the low 90s. Scattered showers and thunderstorms will develop across northeast Florida while southeast Georgia has a chance to dry out. Friday: Overcast to cloudy skies across northeast Florida, with increasing clouds through southeast Georgia with scattered showers, storms developing through the afternoon. Showers and storms, some locally heavy, 60-70 percent across northeast Florida, 40-50 percent across southeast Georgia. Looking ahead: Onshore wind with scattered showers, storms through the weekend as temperatures remain near to slightly below normal.

STARKE, Fla. – A new, 7-mile truck route around Starke, west of U.S.301, is well underway, with parts of the highway paved. While the goal of the project is to alleviate heavy traffic in downtown Starke, some residents fear local businesses will be hurt. They're the ones that have to go out of their way to get to downtown Starke," said resident Ron Kimbrell. Others, including resident Tammy Sherrod, welcome the new truck route. There has already been a change in traffic patterns on the north end of the Starke Truck Route along U.S.-301, where there's a detour.

STARKE, Fla. – A Starke Police Department supervisor resigned Wednesday after he was charged with domestic battery and aggravated assault last week. Robert Todd Jordan, 37, is accused of attacking his girlfriend and pulling a gun on her during an argument while multiple children were in the home, police said. The Bradford County Sheriff's Office is investigating the incident because the Starke Police Department doesn't investigate cases involving its own officers. How to get helpElizabeth Sheppard, a Sheriff’s Office victims' advocate, said there are often red flags in relationships that people need to be aware of. “Domestic violence is one of the hardest things to report,” Sheppard said.

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According to deputies, when they arrived at the home, Anthony Lee Hodges, 39, came out of the shed firing shots at them from a rifle. Deputies retreated behind a school bus that was on the property because a woman who lives at the home is a bus driver and is able to take the vehicle home. Hodges continued firing shots and deputies returned fire, hitting Hodges, according to the Sheriff's Office. "My mother was a bus driver for 40 years. One of the ladies who lives here is a bus driver.

STARKE, Fla. – A missing 13-year-old girl was found safe Tuesday morning, according to the Starke Police Department. Kierston Chamberlain had last been seen about 9 a.m. Monday before she walked off the Bradford Middle School campus, police said. In a Facebook post update, the police department thanked everyone who shared their post and helped get the word out. They did not indicate where the teen was found.

STARKE, Fla. – Officers are looking for a man who exposed himself to a child Thursday night at a Walmart, the Starke Police Department said. Police on Friday released surveillance images of the man and asked for the public's help identifying him. Investigators said the man was with another person, and they were possibly traveling in a dark gray Volkswagen Beetle. Anyone with information is asked to call the Police Department at 904-966-6161.

STARKE, Fla. – A 46-year-old man died and his two passengers were seriously injured in a single-truck crash on State Road 100 at Southeast 75th Street in Starke, the Florida Highway Patrol said. Both directions of SR 100 were closed at 8:36 a.m. after Andrew Garnett, of Keystone Heights, flipped his Ford Ranger, troopers said. It’s unknown why Garnett drove off the road. Garnett’s passengers -- Angela Lloyd, 42, of Melrose, and Robert Lloyd, 20, of Keystone Heights -- were taken to UF Shands with serious injuries, troopers said.

STARKE, Fla. – Six people were injured, three seriously, in a nine-vehicle crash in Starke in Bradford County, just before 5 p.m. Thursday, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The crash happened on U.S. 301 at Southeast 48th Avenue. Troopers said Glen Roberts, 48, of Miami, was traveling north when he failed to stop at a traffic signal, resulting in a crash involving nine vehicles. The current conditions of Roberts, Westling and Horowitz are unknown. The crash remains under investigation after state troopers interviewed several witnesses and tried to obtain video surveillance from the area.

STARKE, Fla. – A Bradford County couple were arrested Wednesday morning after their 3-year-old son was found wandering alone outside an apartment complex, the Starke Police Department said. Hannah Hall, 24, and Justin Mayberry, 22, both face felony child neglect charges. Police were called and eventually spoke to Hall and Mayberry, who both told officers that they fell asleep and had no idea their 3-year-old had left their third-floor apartment by himself. News4Jax crime and safety analyst Gil Smith said the couple could have done more to keep their child safe. The manager told officers that the complex had a new chain installed to prevent this from happening again.

STARKE, Fla. – A tractor-trailer car carrier pulled down wires and several power poles along State Road 100 Thursday afternoon, the Starke Police Department said. PHOTOS: Car carrier pulls down wires, power poles in StarkeThe incident was reported just before 2:30 p.m. and blocked Madison Street from SR 100 east to Walnut Street for about an hour. Crews were called to installed new power poles.

STARKE, Fla. – Police officers sent to check out a tip that a man wanted on multiple charges of rape and other sex crimes in Putnam County was at a hotel in Starke found the man dead inside one of the rooms. With the vehicle being present and the arrest warrant being confirmed, officers responded as if there was a barricaded subject in the room. Officers forced their way inside of the room and located Raulerson dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. "The location and position of the deceased along with additional evidence in the room is consistent with a suicide," Starke Police Captain Barry Warren said. Raulerson was wanted on five counts of sexual battery and engaging in sexual conduct with a minor age 12 to 18.