Bradenton woman found guilty in deadly ‘Peace Walker’ hit-and-run crash
BRADENTON, Fla. - A jury found a Manatee County woman guilty in a hit-and-run crash that killed a Bradenton man known by neighbors as the "Peace Walker."
Manatee County prosecutors and defense attorneys for Teresa Zeppi gave their closing arguments on Thursday after testimony wrapped up on Wednesday.
Pictured: Teresa Zeppi in court.
Teresa Zeppi trial
The backstory:
Florida Highway Patrol investigators said Zeppi was behind the wheel of her Lincoln Navigator when she hit Joseph Dralus, Sr., 82, in April 2020. Dralus died less than a month later.
Pictured: Joseph Dralus, Sr.
It took two years for detectives to arrest Zeppi. Investigators said she didn't immediately stop following the crash, eventually pulling over about 500 feet down the road. Prosecutors showed jurors home security video they said shows Zeppi checking her vehicle for damage, then leaving the scene.
Dig deeper:
Both of Dralus' sons testified during the trial, explaining their part in the investigation to jurors. Christopher Dralus said he provided investigators with his father's toothbrush and hairbrush for DNA comparisons.
"Initially I was going to provide them his ashes, but I was told... they weren't able to get DNA from ashes, so they asked if I could come up with a hairbrush, toothbrush, anything with his DNA on it, which I knew I could come up with a toothbrush and a hairbrush," Christopher Dralus said Wednesday. "He was a very hard worker, provided for his family, loved his family very much and loved being outdoors, as my brother had stated earlier and loved to do his walks on a daily basis."
Pictured: Christopher Dralus on the stand.
On Tuesday, Joseph Dralus, Jr., testified he searched the community for the vehicle that hit his father, eventually finding Zeppi's parked in her driveway.
Prosecutors have said Zeppi's vehicle had front-end damage and DNA taken from the SUV matched the victim's.
"The swabs from the hood slash fender, the swabs from the headlight and the swabs from the passenger side bumper all had DNA that I was able to make interpretations and comparisons to," said Kaleigh Brownell, a DNA analyst for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
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The other side:
Defense attorneys had their own crash scene reconstruction expert take the stand, who said he believes FHP identified the wrong vehicle.
"My opinion in this particular case is this Lincoln Navigator was not the vehicle that struck Mr. Dralus," said Sean O'Leary, the defense's crash scene expert, who was asked how he came to that conclusion. "Primarily the lack of damage to the vehicle, especially in the areas that I would expect to see them, knowing the type of injuries that Mr. Dralus sustained."
Pictured: Sean O'Leary on the stand.
Zeppi was found guilty of leaving the scene of a crash with death on Thursday. No sentencing date has been set.
She nearly avoided trial, initially agreeing to a plea deal that would have kept her out of jail. Prosecutors withdrew that offer late last month.
"Peace for the Peace Walker"
What they're saying:
In a statement to FOX 13, Dralus' family said, "The Dralus family is thankful for the efforts of the SA's office. Mr. Herrero and Mr. Adolfo were tremendous. Their belief in the truth and commitment to this case is recognized and greatly appreciated. Justice has been served. There is finally peace for the "Peace Walker."
The Source: This story was written using information from the trial of Teresa Zeppi and previous FOX 13 News reports.
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