Alleged Serial Killer Left Bloody Messages

2024 Author: Steven Freeman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 08:15

A series of murders that occurred in the Fort Lauderdale, Florida area could be solved thanks to a chilling message written in blood and found in the body of a homeless man.

The terrifying discovery was made on October 27 when police found the body of Derick Westley Tucker, 46, in a warehouse. Next to the victim's body was a bloody ax and a machete. The corpse bore the words "4 Stop Wait time" written in its own blood.

That same day, Fort Lauderdale police arrested Nathaniel Maurice Petgrave, a 22-year-old former security guard, on suspicion of being the perpetrator of the crime.

Detectives now believe the number "4" would mean the number of murders the individual would have carried out and that the suspect - who had recently become a homeless man - would have deliberately chosen his victims, according to People reports.

In the individual's camp, they found 12 dozen 9mm caliber bullets that hunted with the type of bullet found in the bodies of three people recently killed in the area.

These murders occurred between October 20 and 27. The first happened when two men were shot at a gas station. One of them, Larry Scott, 65, survived. The second murder occurred the following day when the body of 50-year-old John Jackson was discovered in the grocery store parking lot. Although police think Petgrave also shot another man who managed to escape without injury. The last victim was the aforementioned Derick Westley Tucker.

"As far as we know, and based on all that we have analyzed, we do not believe that he chose these victims for any reason other than the mere opportunity [presented to him]," Steve Novak, Sgt. from Fort Lauderdale Police, to CBS4.

Petrgrave now faces 3 counts of premeditated murder, attempted to commit, or attempted to commit a crime leading to death, armed assault of a business, and unarmed assault of a vehicle, and remains in a Broward County cell.