Click the video player above for your WPBF 25 News To GoDetectives have arrested a man for a murder in Indian River County, after eight months of following up on different leads through their investigation.Sheriff Eric Flowers announced that an arrest has been made for the shooting that left 25-year-old Justin Bechtold dead in front of his home on the 4300 block of Fifth Street Southwest in Vero Beach last August.”Not for one second did we ever stop investigating this case since Aug. 8,” said Flowers. “Our entire team was involved in this.”Bechtold was shot in the head while in his driveway and later died at a local hospital. The sheriff says a short time later, detectives learned that now 24-year-old Dukarai Lee Thomas had been selling Bechtold marijuana for about a year prior to the shooting, and Thomas’ vehicle and cell phone were near Bechtold’s home at the time of the shooting. However, the sheriff didn’t say the exact motive of the shooting.Stay informed: Local coverage from WPBF 25 NewsIn September, through detectives’ investigation, Indian River County deputies issued an arrest warrant for Thomas for marijuana distribution. They found his vehicle had been abandoned in Gifford and that Thomas was in Tallahassee. He was arrested a short time later and then bonded out of jail. Detectives kept moving forward in their investigation, and while Flowers did not say what led them to charge Thomas with Bechtold’s murder, they say Thomas’ presence on social media helped lead them to their conclusion.“Social media was really a big player in this case and a lot of people don’t realize that they’re leaving a lot of information behind every time they get on social media,” said Flowers. “In this particular instance, one of the biggest factors that allowed us to finally make an arrest was social media.”Thomas was arrested once again in Tallahassee on Wednesday night.On Thursday, family and friends of Justin Bechtold gathered at the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office to talk about Bechtold and the arrest.Follow us on social: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram”Everybody just loved Justin,” said Tim Bechtold, Justin Bechtold’s father. “He was funny- a hard worker. The outpouring of the community was unbelievable because he had friends who just came out of the woodwork. I didn’t even know he had the friends he had but everyone just loved Justin.”Tim Becthold said his son was on track to take over his well drilling business. Bechtold’s parents also say they have no words for the man who deputies say killed their son.Thomas is currently awaiting extradition from the Leon County Jail to the Indian River County Jail.In the headlines: Florida Legislature has voted to strip Disney World’s self-government. Here’s what could happen
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Detectives have arrested a man for a murder in Indian River County, after eight months of following up on different leads through their investigation.
Sheriff Eric Flowers announced that an arrest has been made for the shooting that left 25-year-old Justin Bechtold dead in front of his home on the 4300 block of Fifth Street Southwest in Vero Beach last August.
“Not for one second did we ever stop investigating this case since Aug. 8,” said Flowers. “Our entire team was involved in this.”
Bechtold was shot in the head while in his driveway and later died at a local hospital.
The sheriff says a short time later, detectives learned that now 24-year-old Dukarai Lee Thomas had been selling Bechtold marijuana for about a year prior to the shooting, and Thomas’ vehicle and cell phone were near Bechtold’s home at the time of the shooting. However, the sheriff didn’t say the exact motive of the shooting.
Stay informed: Local coverage from WPBF 25 News
In September, through detectives’ investigation, Indian River County deputies issued an arrest warrant for Thomas for marijuana distribution. They found his vehicle had been abandoned in Gifford and that Thomas was in Tallahassee. He was arrested a short time later and then bonded out of jail.
Detectives kept moving forward in their investigation, and while Flowers did not say what led them to charge Thomas with Bechtold’s murder, they say Thomas’ presence on social media helped lead them to their conclusion.
“Social media was really a big player in this case and a lot of people don’t realize that they’re leaving a lot of information behind every time they get on social media,” said Flowers. “In this particular instance, one of the biggest factors that allowed us to finally make an arrest was social media.”
Thomas was arrested once again in Tallahassee on Wednesday night.
On Thursday, family and friends of Justin Bechtold gathered at the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office to talk about Bechtold and the arrest.
Follow us on social: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
“Everybody just loved Justin,” said Tim Bechtold, Justin Bechtold’s father. “He was funny- a hard worker. The outpouring of the community was unbelievable because he had friends who just came out of the woodwork. I didn’t even know he had the friends he had but everyone just loved Justin.”
Tim Becthold said his son was on track to take over his well drilling business. Bechtold’s parents also say they have no words for the man who deputies say killed their son.
Thomas is currently awaiting extradition from the Leon County Jail to the Indian River County Jail.
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In the headlines: Florida Legislature has voted to strip Disney World’s self-government. Here’s what could happen
