Detectives Make Arrest In Titusville Murder Case
By Space Coast Daily // January 15, 2013
Police Also Questioning Runaway In Georgia
BREVARD COUNTY • TITUSVILLE, FLORIDA – Detectives from the Titusville Police Department have made an arrest in connection with the murder over the weekend of a Titusville woman,
Sgt. Thomas House of the Titusville Police said detectives arrested William Leonard Weber of Titusville, 18, on Monday and charged him with Dealing in Stolen Property, False Verification of Ownership to a Pawn Broker and Violation of Probation.
House said the charges are supported by sworn statements by witnesses and admissions made by Weber during an interview.
Detectives discovered during their investigation of the murder that Weber pawned items belonging to murder victim Michelle Renee Chappell at the Value Pawn at 515 Cheney Hwy on Sunday.
Some of the pawned items included Chappell’s jewelry.
Weber was delivered to the Brevard County Jail on a No Bond status.
House said Titusville detectives continue to track down leads to the murder, which is believed to have happened at Chappell’s home at 230 Avilez Boulevard.
Titusville officers responding to a call for service discovered the body Sunday they believe to be Michelle Renee Chappell, 41, and immediately launched a homicide investigation.
Durng an initial sweep of the crime scene, detectives discovered Chappell’s gold Nissan was missing from the residence.
An alert about the Nissan was issued to law enforcement agencies and deputies from the Camden County Georgia Sheriff’s Department spotted the vehicle at about 9:20 p.m. Sunday traveling north on I-95 and attempted to conduct a traffic stop.
The vehicle fled from authorities and subsequently crashed, House said.
One of the two occupants — a suspect in the Titusville homicide, Christian Joseph Murphy of Titusville, 21, — a passenger in the Nissan, was killed in the crash.
Camden County is about 180 miles north of Titusville and some 30 miles south of Brunswick, Ga.
House said Titusville officers notified Murphy’s family of his death at the request of the George State Police and two detectives from the Titusville Police Department are currently in Georgia examining evidence and interviewing a female runaway from Titusville who was driving the Nissan when it crashed.
Taylor Dawn Uhl, 15, was listed as a runaway from Country Acres juvenile home in Titusville prior to the murder.
Georgia State Police say Uhl is facing pending charges of Vehicular Homicide, Fleeing & Eluding and Grand Theft of a Motor Vehicle.
Anyone with any information is asked to call Det. Allen Davies at 321-264-7835 or CRIMELINE at 1-800-423-TIPS (8477).
