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Suspect arrested in teen's killing
By LYDA LONGA
Staff Writer
The man suspected of murdering an 18-year-old South Daytona woman walked five-tenths of a mile from his apartment with her body stuffed in a garbage can, authorities said.
Lewis
Williams
Clayton Williams, 28, was arrested late Tuesday night and charged with first-degree murder.
Police said Samantha Lewis, described by friends as "a good girl," was strangled. Lewis' body was discovered stuffed in a garbage bin Monday afternoon when a passer-by noticed a foot protruding from the large plastic container, South Dayton
a police said. The bin had been left beside the city's sewage treatment lift station at 501 Big Tree Road.
Several witnesses said they saw Williams wheeling the garbage can that held Lewis' body that morning.
South Daytona Police Chief Bill Hall said Tuesday night, "The public helped put this thing together. They were the ones who came forward after they saw him pushing the garbage can down the street.
"I'm not aware of any motive," Hall added. "That is what is so horrible about this crime."
According to the police report, one witness said he walked over to Williams early Monday morning and said the suspect looked "very strange." Williams told the witness he "did something real bad."
After that, Williams told the witness he "murdered Samantha and put her in the garbage can." Then Williams bet the witness $30 to look in the trash bin, the report states.
The witness refused and walked away, police said.
According to the police report, Williams said he was
joking with the witness, but he did say he moved the garbage can because it was filled from a party Sunday night.
The last time Lewis was seen with Williams was about 4:30 a.m. Monday, the report states.
Detectives questioned the 300-pound Williams, who is known as "Clay" and "Big Boy." Investigators with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and South Daytona police searched his apartment at 1769 Eastern Road and brought out "several bags of stuff," about 3 a.m. Tuesday, said neighbor Ray Smith.
"I can't believe that Clay could have been the one to do this. He's a real nice guy," Smith said.
Williams was arrested Tuesday night in Daytona Beach in the 1300 block of Continental Drive, near Derbyshire Road, as family members stood in the driveway.
While most of Williams' neighbors described him as a friendly, affable fellow, friends of Lewis echoed those sentiments about the dead teenager.
She had been missing five days before her body turned up, friends said.
The 18-year-old Lewis lived on and off with her mother in a small apartment on Orange Blossom Road here. The two argued, and Lewis stormed out about six or seven days ago, leaving most of her belongings in her bedroom.
Tuesday afternoon, her mother, Patricia Shackelford, was secluded inside the second-floor apartment, surrounded by pictures of her daughter, a close family friend said.
"She is devastated," said the woman, who asked that her name not be published. "When we were going to the police department last night, she was still thinking it was not her daughter who had been found."
"She was a good girl," said the family friend. "She wanted to better herself, and who knows, she probably would have changed if she had lived."
The woman said mother and daughter had argued about Lewis' lifestyle and her choice of acquaintances, several days ago. Lewis spent two days in jail in March for possession of a marijuana bowl.
Kimberly Williamson, another family friend, said Lew
is often slept at Williams' apartment. She said Lewis, however, "was messing with Eric," a friend of Williams.
Tuesday afternoon, Williamson said she and her sister-in-law Samantha Williamson were not surprised when they learned that Lewis was the person found in the garbage bin. Samantha Williamson had last seen Lewis with Eric at a local bottle club about a week ago.
"We just put two and two together," Kimberly Williamson said. "She was just 18 years old. She never even got the chance to get married and have children."
Suspect arrested in teen's killing
By LYDA LONGA
Staff Writer
The man suspected of murdering an 18-year-old South Daytona woman walked five-tenths of a mile from his apartment with her body stuffed in a garbage can, authorities said.
Lewis
Williams
Clayton Williams, 28, was arrested late Tuesday night and charged with first-degree murder.
Police said Samantha Lewis, described by friends as "a good girl," was strangled. Lewis' body was discovered stuffed in a garbage bin Monday afternoon when a passer-by noticed a foot protruding from the large plastic container, South Dayton
a police said. The bin had been left beside the city's sewage treatment lift station at 501 Big Tree Road.
Several witnesses said they saw Williams wheeling the garbage can that held Lewis' body that morning.
South Daytona Police Chief Bill Hall said Tuesday night, "The public helped put this thing together. They were the ones who came forward after they saw him pushing the garbage can down the street.
"I'm not aware of any motive," Hall added. "That is what is so horrible about this crime."
According to the police report, one witness said he walked over to Williams early Monday morning and said the suspect looked "very strange." Williams told the witness he "did something real bad."
After that, Williams told the witness he "murdered Samantha and put her in the garbage can." Then Williams bet the witness $30 to look in the trash bin, the report states.
The witness refused and walked away, police said.
According to the police report, Williams said he was
joking with the witness, but he did say he moved the garbage can because it was filled from a party Sunday night.
The last time Lewis was seen with Williams was about 4:30 a.m. Monday, the report states.
Detectives questioned the 300-pound Williams, who is known as "Clay" and "Big Boy." Investigators with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and South Daytona police searched his apartment at 1769 Eastern Road and brought out "several bags of stuff," about 3 a.m. Tuesday, said neighbor Ray Smith.
"I can't believe that Clay could have been the one to do this. He's a real nice guy," Smith said.
Williams was arrested Tuesday night in Daytona Beach in the 1300 block of Continental Drive, near Derbyshire Road, as family members stood in the driveway.
While most of Williams' neighbors described him as a friendly, affable fellow, friends of Lewis echoed those sentiments about the dead teenager.
She had been missing five days before her body turned up, friends said.
The 18-year-old Lewis lived on and off with her mother in a small apartment on Orange Blossom Road here. The two argued, and Lewis stormed out about six or seven days ago, leaving most of her belongings in her bedroom.
Tuesday afternoon, her mother, Patricia Shackelford, was secluded inside the second-floor apartment, surrounded by pictures of her daughter, a close family friend said.
"She is devastated," said the woman, who asked that her name not be published. "When we were going to the police department last night, she was still thinking it was not her daughter who had been found."
"She was a good girl," said the family friend. "She wanted to better herself, and who knows, she probably would have changed if she had lived."
The woman said mother and daughter had argued about Lewis' lifestyle and her choice of acquaintances, several days ago. Lewis spent two days in jail in March for possession of a marijuana bowl.
Kimberly Williamson, another family friend, said Lew
is often slept at Williams' apartment. She said Lewis, however, "was messing with Eric," a friend of Williams.
Tuesday afternoon, Williamson said she and her sister-in-law Samantha Williamson were not surprised when they learned that Lewis was the person found in the garbage bin. Samantha Williamson had last seen Lewis with Eric at a local bottle club about a week ago.
"We just put two and two together," Kimberly Williamson said. "She was just 18 years old. She never even got the chance to get married and have children."
