Alachua County grand jury hands up indictments in three separate murder cases

The Alachua County Spring Term Grand Jury on Tuesday indicted three people, including a 13-year-old girl, on charges of first-degree murder in three separate cases.

The first indictment stems from a Jan. 11 shooting at a home in northwest Gainesville's Suburban Heights neighborhood.

James Thomas Tate, 29, faces charges of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, grand theft of a vehicle, grand theft of a firearm and aggravated fleeing and eluding.

According to the sworn complaint, Tate, his boss Marvin Miller, and a coworker traveled from Mississippi for work and were staying at an Airbnb rental at 4720 NW 16th Place.

Tate told Gainesville police detectives he got a "wild idea" while lying in bed, and went outside to his boss's truck to retrieve a bag. He said the bag, which he had seen two days earlier, contained cash and a handgun.

Tate then walked in the front door of the home and directly to Miller's room. Tate said Miller got out of bed armed with a handgun. Tate then shot Miller, 54, multiple times, the complaint says.

Tate then went to his coworker's room and attempted to open the door, which was locked. He then shot multiple times through the door, forcing the man to escape through the window.

Tate grabbed the keys to Miller's truck and fled the scene, the complains says.

Police quickly located Tate, who eventually crashed the truck while fleeing law enforcement in Columbia County. He was taken into custody without incident.

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A second indictment for first-degree murder was returned for Romanda Lacasey Thompson, 33, who is accused of beating a homeless man to death at a campsite on Feb. 27.

According to the arrest report, Thompson, at about 1:45 a.m., attacked Kelly Robert Byrne at Byrne's campsite off Northeast 16th Avenue. The report says that Thompson "incapacitated" Byrne and then dragged him about 50 feet behind a piece of machinery. Thompson then stomped on the man's face before strangling him to death, the report said.

Byrne was found dead about 11:29 that morning after someone reported seeing his feet sticking out from behind the piece of machinery.

The final indictment for first-degree murder handed up by the grand jury on Tuesday was against a 13-year-old girl. The Sun is not identifying her due to her age.

According to the press release announcing the indictments, police responded on April 19 to 484 SE 24th Drive, just off Hawthorne Road, in reference to a vehicle crash.

Upon arrival, officers found a person, later identified as Wilber Alberta Perez, dead from a gunshot wound.

The teen has been transferred from the North Florida Regional Juvenile Detention Center to the Alachua County Jail, where she is being held on charges of first-degree murder, robbery with a firearm, shooting or throwing a deadly missile into a vehicle, possession of a firearm by a minor and conspiracy to commit robbery with a firearm. A 14-year-old boy not named in the indictment also faces various charges in the case.

Following the indictments, Judge Johnathan Ramsey ordered that all three suspects be held without bail.

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Alachua County grand jury indicts three in separate murder cases