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Thread: Death Penalty Pursued for Matthew Scott Flores in 2023 FL Murder of Jose Carlos Martinez and Gary Levin

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    Death Penalty Pursued for Matthew Scott Flores in 2023 FL Murder of Jose Carlos Martinez and Gary Levin


    Jose Carlos Martinez


    Gary Levin






    Florida murder suspect arrested in North Carolina after 3 county chase

    Suspect arrested in vehicle linked to missing Florida Lyft driver

    By Rebekah Nelson
    By ABC Action News

    HARDEE COUNTY, Fla. — Investigators from the Wauchula Police Department are heading north after a homicide suspect was captured.

    Police said that Mathew Scott Flores was involved in a chase that crossed three counties in North Carolina on Feb. 2 and that he was being charged with second-degree murder for the killing of Jose Carlos Martinez.

    The chase ended with a crash along Main Street and Hollis Road. Flores was then taken to a hospital.

    On January 24, Wauchula Police said Flores was involved in an incident within city limits, and during the incident, a man was shot multiple times and later pronounced dead.

    Chief John Eason explained that homicides in the city are very uncommon.

    “Any kind of case that would be classified as a homicide for us, in the last 20 plus years, 30 years actually going back to the early 90s, we’ve only had four, including this one," said Eason.

    Now investigators are also looking into a possible connection to another case.

    According to ABC Action News' sister station WPTV News, Flores was arrested for driving a vehicle that belongs to a missing Lyft driver.

    Family members of Gary Levin, 74, told WPTV he was last seen on Monday in Palm Beach Gardens. His family said he was scheduled to pick someone up shortly before 1:30 p.m.

    "For him to go completely off the map, that's not at all normal," Lindsay DiBetta, Levin's daughter, said Wednesday. "We don't know if he actually picked up the person or if he picked up a person as it was completed or what happened," she added.

    Wauchula Police also said that Stephanie Velgara, who they claimed assisted Flores in fleeing from Florida law enforcement, has been arrested and is being charged as an accessory.

    “While we do still have an active, ongoing homicide investigation that’s occurred within the city limits of Wauchula, our primary focus at this point is doing everything we can to help assist Palm Beach Gardens with finding Mr. Levin," said Chief Eason.

    Anyone who may have seen Levin is asked to contact the Palm Beach Gardens Police Department at 561-799-4445.

    https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/r...los%20Martinez.
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    Edited:

    Man in missing Lyft driver investigation held on $2 million cash bond

    By CBS12 News

    PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. (CBS12) — The man found driving a missing Lyft driver's car from Palm Beach Gardens is being held on a $2 million cash bond in North Carolina.

    Matthew Scott Flores, 35, appeared in a Rutherford County courtroom on Friday morning. He is wanted on a warrant for a murder in Hardee County, Florida, last month.

    While in court, Flores asked the judge whether he could leave jail if he paid the $2 million bond. The judge amended the bond to be $2 million in cash.

    Authorities in North Carolina captured Flores following a high-speed chase in the western part of the state on Thursday night after receiving an alert that he may be in the area.

    https://cbs12.com/news/local/matthew...auchula-desoto
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    Human remains found near missing Florida Lyft driver’s last known location

    By WESH News

    OKEECHOBEE COUNTY, Fla. — Human remains were found in Okeechobee County Saturday morning days after a Lyft driver went missing.

    Gary Levin, 74, who worked as a Lyft driver, had been reported missing by family when he didn't return home.

    The last time Levin was seen was Monday afternoon.

    Family members told WPBF that he went missing after he picked up some riders for Lyft.

    "I can’t imagine him going and picking someone up in Miami and then going to Okeechobee? Like that would be, you know, he would let his girlfriend know. They had dinner plans on Monday night, and he never came home. He would let her know, 'Hey, I’m driving from Palm Beach Gardens to Miami and then to Okeechobee,'" Levin's daughter, Lindsay DiBetta said.

    WPTV reports the human remains of a man were found Saturday in the area where Levin dropped off a rider.

    According to the Okeechobee County Sheriff's Office, they are working to identify the person found.

    "The sadness and the frustration in this is all so much for my family and I. I appreciate all the reach out and positive prayers. Since this case is being looked at by so many people at this point I have to have faith in our legal system and the people working on it.

    I have to believe they are doing everything possible to bring home a father, grandfather, brother, friend, uncle and cousin to his loved ones," DiBetta wrote on Facebook.

    Levin's car found in North Carolina

    Authorities announced a murder suspect was apprehended on Thursday after leading law enforcement on a chase across North Carolina in the car belonging to the missing Florida Lyft driver.

    WLOS reported that the suspect was identified as Matthew Scott Flores, who is wanted for murder in Hardee County.

    https://www.wesh.com/article/missing...river/42765745
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    Elderly Florida Lyft driver, previously reported missing, confirmed dead

    Gary Levin, 74, went missing in Okeechobee, FL

    By Associated Press

    A South Florida Lyft driver who went missing more than a week ago has died, his daughter confirmed Tuesday.

    Lindsay DiBetta posted on Facebook that the family would be announcing information on services for her father, Gary Levin, in the next few days.

    "My dad was truly a one of kind person, if you knew him or even met him once you know exactly what I mean when I say that," DiBetta wrote. "The stories I have received about him from friends, family and complete strangers over the last week have lifted me up more than you can ever realize."

    Levin, 74, went missing Jan. 30 after dropping off a customer in Okeechobee, a small city north of Florida's Lake Okeechobee. His family reported him missing when he didn't return home and his cellphone had been turned off.

    The Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office previously announced the discovery of human remains near Levin’s last known location before he vanished. FDLE reported Tuesday that it had confirmed the identity of the person found in Okeechobee and notified the person’s family but declined to identify the victim publicly, citing a Florida state constitutional amendment that allows crime victims or their relatives to withhold their names from public reports.

    Levin's red 2022 Kia Stinger was spotted in Miami, Okeechobee and Gainesville in north Florida last week. It was stopped Thursday night in North Carolina, where a U.S. Marshals regional task force asked authorities to be on the lookout.

    The driver, Matthew Flores, was arrested following a police chase through three counties, Rutherford County, North Carolina Sheriff Aaron Ellenburg said. Flores, 35, fled but was captured a short time later in Ellenboro, North Carolina.

    He's being held on a $2 million bond and scheduled for a Feb. 22 hearing.

    He will eventually be returned to Florida to face second-degree murder charges in the death of Jose Carlos Martinez in Wauchula on Jan. 24, and for the death of Levin.

    It was not known whether Flores has a lawyer who can speak on his behalf.

    Authorities are investigating how Flores obtained the missing Lyft driver’s car. Levin’s family said they do not know whether Flores was the passenger Levin picked up in Delray Beach on Monday.

    In an emailed statement Friday, Lyft said "our thoughts are with Mr. Levin’s family and loved ones during this deeply concerning time. We’ve been in touch with his family to offer our support, as well as with law enforcement to assist with their investigation."

    DiBetta previously said the Lyft gig was great for Levin, who loved telling dad jokes and often told them over and over.

    "It was the perfect set up for him," she said. "He would get a new audience every ride."

    Levin lived in the Philadelphia area and was a huge Eagles fan. He worked in auto body sales until retiring to Florida about two years ago. He loved driving for Lyft, where he often told jokes to his customers, his daughter said.

    He had a son and a daughter and four grandchildren.

    https://www.foxnews.com/us/elderly-f...confirmed-dead
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    Matthew Flores faces new charge in Gary Levin case

    Flores faces charge of felony possession of stolen car

    By Scott Sutton
    WPTV News

    RUTHERFORD COUNTY, N.C. — Matthew Flores, the man who prosecutors call a person of interest in the Gary Levin case, is facing a new charge in North Carolina.

    The Rutherford County District Attorney's Office in North Carolina announced Friday they have added the charge of felony possession of a stolen car to the list of other charges Flores already faces.

    Flores, 35, was taken into custody Feb. 1 in Rutherford County driving a Kia Stinger owned by Gary Levin, 74, a Palm Beach Gardens Lyft driver.

    Levin was missing for days before his body was later found in Okeechobee County on Feb. 4. His daughter confirmed Feb. 7 that her father was dead.

    Flores was wanted in Florida for second-degree murder, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, discharging a firearm in public and violation of supervised pre-trial release.

    The second-degree murder charge and other counts stem from the fatal shooting last month of Jose Carlos Martinez in Wauchula, Florida.

    Flores has not been charged with murder in Levin's death.

    https://www.wptv.com/news/region-n-p...ary-levin-case
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    Man Tied to South Florida Lyft Driver's Slaying Charged in Separate Case

    A grand jury in Hardee County indicted Matthew Flores, 35, on charges of first-degree murder, grand theft auto, possession of a firearm by a felon and tampering with evidence, according to court records

    By Associated Press

    A man who police say was driving the car of a dead South Florida Lyft driver was charged with murder and other counts Tuesday in a separate case.

    A grand jury in Hardee County indicted Matthew Flores, 35, on charges of first-degree murder, grand theft auto, possession of a firearm by a felon and tampering with evidence, according to court records.

    The indictment relates to the Jan. 24 fatal shooting of 43-year-old Jose Carlos Martinez in Wauchula. Police were actively searching for Flores in that case by Jan. 30, when Lyft driver Gary Levin, 74, went missing after dropping off a customer in Okeechobee, a small city north of Florida’s Lake Okeechobee and about 70 miles (110 kilometers) east of Wauchula.

    Levin’s red 2022 Kia Stinger was spotted in Miami, Okeechobee and Gainesville in north Florida after his disappearance. The vehicle was stopped Feb. 2 in North Carolina, where a U.S. Marshals regional task force asked authorities to be on the lookout. Flores, who was driving the car, was arrested following a police chase through three counties, officials said. A dead body found in Okeechobee after Levin went missing was eventually identified as the driver.

    Flores was being held in North Carolina on a $2 million bond with a hearing scheduled for Wednesday. He will eventually be returned to Florida. It was not known whether Flores had a lawyer who can speak on his behalf.

    https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/...2978818/?amp=1
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    Edited:

    Prosecutors speed up extradition to Florida for man found in missing Lyft driver's car

    By Gary Detman
    WPEC News

    PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. (CBS12) — The man found in a car belonging to a missing Lyft driver from Palm Beach Gardens will not face any charges in North Carolina.

    Prosecutors in North Carolina dropped all charges against Matthew Flores, paving the way for him to be extradited to Florida.

    Flores, 35, is a person of interest in the disappearance and death of 74-year-old Gary Levin.

    Flores was wanted on a warrant for second-degree murder in Hardee County, Florida. No charges have been filed in the Levin case.

    https://cbs12.com/news/local/gary-le...-march-10-2023
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    Extradition hearing for Florida murder suspect continued

    By WLOS News

    RUTHERFORD COUNTY, N.C. (WLOS) — An extradition hearing of a man accused of murder in Florida and arrested in Rutherford County has been continued.

    Matthew Scott Flores' next court date is set for May 26, according to Assistant Clerk of Superior Court Karla Kelly Towler.

    Flores is charged with second-degree murder for the shooting death of Jose Carlos Martinez in Wauchula, Florida. He's also considered a person of interest in the killing of a Lyft driver in Florida.

    In February 2023, Matthew Flores led police on a high-speed chase through several counties before he was arrested in Rutherford County.

    The judge says all the paperwork was not ready for Friday's hearing, forcing the delay.

    https://wlos.com/news/local/extradit...herford-county
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    Florida murder suspect Matthew Flores extradited from Rutherford County

    By WLOS News

    RUTHERFORDTON, N.C. (WLOS) — A man wanted for murder in Florida was extradited from Rutherford County on Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023, the Rutherford County District Attorney's Office said.

    Matthew Flores was arrested in February after a chase and crash while he was driving a missing Palm Beach Gardens Lyft driver's vehicle. Flores, 36, has not been charged in Gary Levin's death, but police have called him a person of interest.

    But Flores has been charged in the Jan. 24, 2023, shooting death of Jose Carlos Martinez in Hardee County, Florida. According to court records, a grand jury indicted Flores on charges of first-degree murder, grand theft auto, possession of a firearm by a felon and tampering with evidence in that case.

    Police were searching for Flores in that case when Levin disappeared after dropping off a customer in Okeechobee.

    As previously reported, on Feb. 2, 2023, the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office, Forest City Police Department and Spindale Police Department assisted the North Carolina Highway Patrol and the U.S. Marshals Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force with a multi-county vehicle pursuit. After a brief foot pursuit, authorities were able to apprehend Flores, who was charged with a parole violation, being a fugitive, felony speeding to elude arrest and DWI.

    District Attorney Ted Bell, who represents McDowell and Rutherford counties, said local charges against Flores were dropped in March in order to expedite his extradition to Florida.

    Levin, 74, was found dead Feb. 7 in Okeechobee County, Florida.

    https://wlos.com/news/local/florida-...county-florida
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    Suspect charged with capital murder of Lyft driver

    By Troy Myers
    CBS 12 News

    WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — An Okeechobee County grand jury indicted Matthew Flores on Tuesday, accusing him of murdering 74-year-old Gary Levin earlier this year.

    A news conference Wednesday morning with multiple agencies -- the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), the Okeechobee County Sheriff's Office and the Palm Beach Gardens Police Department (PBGPD) -- made the announcement. FDLE Special Agent in Charge Eli Lawson said Flores is charged with first-degree murder with a firearm, robbery with a firearm and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

    “Mr. Levin was a beloved member of the Palm Beach Gardens community. He was a father and a friend," Lawson said. "His loved ones have experienced an insurmountable amount of grief."

    Lawson started the news conference around 10:15 a.m. at the FDLE West Palm Beach Field Office. He explained the investigation started in January, when Flores was identified as a murder suspect in Wauchula, Florida, and also as a murder suspect in Levin's death.

    A multi-county manhunt began, and a woman who allegedly aided in his escape was charged.

    Lawson said the suspect fled Hardee County, crisscrossing the state, evading multiple agencies and ended up in Palm Beach Gardens.

    Once in town, he allegedly used an acquaintance to order a Lyft driver: Levin.

    The pair drove out into Okeechobee County, where Flores shot the 74-year-old in the head, Lawson said. A missing person's case was initiated with the PBGPD two days later, and Flores was singled out as the last Lyft passenger in Levin's red Kia Stinger.

    The suspect continued his escape into North Carolina, where officials there were notified about Flores' possible presence within the state.

    On February 2, Flores was found in Levin's car in North Carolina, hundreds of miles from Levin's last known location. Authorities in Rutherford County, North Carolina, located him, forced him off the roadway and arrested him.

    Two days later, levin's remains were found back in Okeechobee County.

    “Mr. Levin had been cruelly dumped in a rural wooded area. His murder was cold, it was senseless and completely unnecessary," Lawson said.

    Flores was held in the county jail until his extradition to Hardee County on August 8 to answer for the first-degree murder charge he faces there. Other charges include grand theft, tampering with evidence and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, records show.

    A reporter asked the special agent in charge why it took months to officially name Flores as a murder suspect in Levin's death, when from an outside view it seemed the case was clear. Lawson responded, saying the man was the number one suspect all along, and because Flores was in custody early on, it allowed officials to make their case against him bullet proof.

    “We fully anticipate this going to trial,” Lawson said.

    Eventually, Flores will end up in Okeechobee County to face his charges, but ultimately, it will be up to prosecutors to decide which county prosecutes the man first.

    When asked about if the death penalty will be pursued as a punishment for Flores, Lawson said he could not comment on the topic yet.

    The special agent in charge said their investigation remains active, and he was unable to answer most reporter's other questions.

    https://cw34.com/news/local/gary-lev...tember-12-2023
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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